Photo: Scenes from the arrest
A mail theft crime in Irvine gets stamped out with the arrest of two Long Beach men.
Walter Virulaalveno (41) and Darwin Romero (32) were booked at Orange County Jail for possession of narcotics and identity theft after they were caught stealing mail from mailboxes earlier this month.
Irvine police first became suspicious when they noticed the suspect vehicle parked illegally. “After stopping to investigate, the officer observed a man stealing mail from a US mailbox,” said police.
The man ran back to the vehicle and got in the passenger side; however, any plans for a getaway were prevented. The officer approached the vehicle and started to ask questions about their activities in progress.
“The mail thieves pushed the envelope by rigging up a fishing system to steal from the mailbox,” said police. “Officers located 25 checks and 25 pieces of mail that belonged to various people and businesses in the area.”
The two men were subsequently arrested.
“Crime prevention tip: If you are mailing important documents or checks, drop the envelope off inside a Post Office or hand it to a mail courier.”
