Suspicious citizen reports possible mail theft

Mail theft comes with serious consequences.For most citizens the act of placing and or taking their mail from a box located on their property is no big deal.Until, of course, letters or items of personal interest are stolen.28-year-old Rebecca Marie Ham did just that.

Rebecca Marie Ham chose Freebirds as the perfect place to go through “her” mail.

Ham was arrested on Nov 4 for mail theft under PC 530.5 (e) in which is she admitted to breaking into several mail boxes.The Santa Clara DA’s Office is also charging Ham under PC 496 (a) for withholding and or concealing stolen property from the owners from her theft of several checks, other letters and pieces of mail.Ham is facing a total of 8 counts of possession of stolen property (U.S. Mail).At the time of Ham’s arrest she also had a misdemeanor arrest warrant from Santa Clara County for theft.

Ham was spotted by several persons, who reported seeing suspicious female going through a stack of mail at the Freebird’s World Burrito restaurant located at 1205 The Alameda in San Jose.Letters and envelopes with several signed checks were being torn open without any apparent concern for the contents of the letters and or other items. When the mail was found in her possession, Ham at first stated that it was hers.However, following up on the investigation it was soon learned that she had stolen the mail from the 95126 zip code. (Ham’s residence is listed in the 95113 area.)

Perhaps enjoying one of these tables, she was spotted plowing through the stack looking for the good stuff.

Ham said she “found the mail in a box at an apartment complex and had brought it with her”. (Freebirds is also in the 95126 zip code area.) The San Jose Police Department contacted one of the victims, who had identified several checks she had signed and placed in the mail box in order to pay for several bills.The victim told officers that Ham did not have permission to handle her mail.Ham after being confronted came clean, admitting to SJPD officers, she had taken the mail.

She was booked into the Main Jail without further incident.Her bail was set at $84,000. Ham’s next court appearance has been scheduled for 1:30 in Dept 35 on November 25, 2013.

Photos by Amy Nilson