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Six separate mail carriers were robbed within a two-day period across the Washington, D.C., area, most of which were at gunpoint and two instances where the carriers were assaulted.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s spokesman Michael Martel said that the string of robberies included four on Friday and two on Thursday.
They’ve been concentrated in different parts of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
“[Mail carriers] are in everybody’s neighborhood on a daily basis delivering everything from birthday cards to goods ordered online,” Mr. Martel said at a Friday news conference. “They are part of our lives and it’s important for us to make sure that they are safe when they are doing those routes every day delivering those items for us. It is a sad state of things when it comes down to robberies against someone that provides an essential service to our communities.”
Four mail carriers were robbed within a three-hour period on Friday between D.C. and Maryland.
The first incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. near the 2000 block of Dayton Street in Wheaton, Maryland. Mr. Martel said that the suspect approached a mail carrier, showed a firearm and then demanded property before leaving the area.
The next incident took place roughly 20 minutes later at the 3300 block of Major Denton Drive in Beltsville, Maryland. Again, the suspect showed the firearm, demanded property and then left the area.
Mr. Martel gave the same suspect description in both cases — a skinny Black male standing between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches and possibly in his 20s. He was wearing a black ski mask and had a high-pitched voice.
In both instances, the suspect left the area in a black sedan, possibly an Infiniti, with dark-tinted windows, Mr. Martel said.
The third incident happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. in the 2000 block of Florida Avenue Northwest in D.C.
This time, Mr. Martel said that the suspect approached the letter carrier and demanded property before the suspect hit the carrier in his chin and took property. Mr. Martel said the suspect then fled in a black Mercedes sedan.
The final incident on Friday occurred near the 6700 block of Quiet Hours Court in Columbia, Maryland, around 1:30 p.m. A suspect approached a letter carrier, showed a firearm and demanded property.
Mr. Martel described the suspect in this incident as a skinny Black male with a light complexion who stood around 5 feet, 9 inches and had a red shirt on.
The two incidents on Thursday were carried out by the same two suspects, according to Mr. Martel, and happened within a half-hour window of time.
The first took place near 7400 block of Hawley Avenue in Takoma Park, Maryland, around 12:55 p.m. when Mr. Martel said that a letter carrier was approached by the two suspects.
Mr. Martel said that they showed a firearm to the letter carrier before demanding property, assaulted the carrier and then fled in a black sedan.
Roughly two miles away, the two suspects approached another letter carrier in the 5900 block of 8th Street Northeast in D.C. around 1:15 p.m. The suspects showed a firearm and demanded property before leaving. The carrier was uninjured.
Mr. Martel described the two suspects as slim, young Black males standing between 5 feet, 8 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches and wearing ski masks.
One male was wearing a gray-and-black hoodie and was armed with a black-and-silver handgun. The other was said to be wearing a black hoodie and jeans. Both suspects left the area in a black sedan.
There is a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of these suspects. The $50,000 reward applies to each incident where a mail carrier was robbed.
Anybody with information can call postal inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.
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