FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – A $5,000 check was stolen from one woman during a string of thefts from mailboxes in a Fernandina Beach neighborhood, police said.
The Fernandina Beach Police Department said it's close to making two arrests in the case.
Residents, including Jeff Scheiring, told News4Jax on Tuesday that they were concerned after a number of mailboxes were hit in the neighborhood.
"It's concerning, but it's not surprising," Scheiring said. "Unfortunately, you can't watch everything all the time, so it's going to happen."
According to police, two people went up to the mailboxes in the neighborhood, reached in for the mail, ripped it open and took what they wanted.
In one case, police said, they took a $5,000 check from one woman, who told News4Jax that she's suffering from brain cancer and needs the money.
Investigators said the pair convinced a friend to deposit the check in her account and give them the cash, and the transaction was caught on surveillance. The friend later realize she was being taken, and went to the bank to stop the payment.
A week later, authorities said, they arrested Taybron Srewart, 19, and Nataraja Williams, 20, for burglarizing cars in the same neighborhood.
Deputy Police Chief Mark Foxworth said he expects the two will be charged with mail theft soon after more evidence comes back from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab.
Police offered several ways for people to protect large checks sent in the mail:
- Seal envelopes well.
- Always send it in a privacy envelope that can't be seen through.
- And if it's a large amount, send it via certified mail, requiring a signature.