Wanted Texas felons arrested for mail theft in Sunnyvale

SUNNYVALE -- Two wanted suspects out of Texas were arrested over the weekend in Sunnyvale following the theft of mail from residential mailboxes.

In a press statement, the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety said officers responded Oct. 1 at around 2:22 a.m. to the 300 block of Santa Diana Terrace near Fair Oaks Ave. and Central Expressway.on a report of people stealing from mailboxes. Officers arrived as the suspects were attempting to flee in their vehicle.

The suspects were apprehended and identified as Tamara Garcia and Derek Hopson. A check of the suspects revealed that Garcia had an outstanding felony warrant out of Texas for fraud.   

Officers searched their vehicle and found hundreds of pieces of mail belonging to dozens of victims, burglary tools, shaved postal service keys, stolen property, and drug paraphernalia, DPS said.

Investigators determined the suspects were staying at a motel on the 800 block of E El Camino Real, where officers also found stolen mail and a loaded semi-automatic pistol. DPS said the vehicle they were driving was stolen. 

Garcia and Hopson were booked into county jail on charges of mail theft, receiving stolen property, misappropriation of lost property, theft, possession of burglary tools, and possession of drug paraphernalia.