Kent mail thief caught red-handed after detective watches him hit 17 mailboxes in a row
May 29, 2026, 7:50 AM | Updated: 3:01 pm
Screenshot of bodycam footage of the suspected mail thief's arrest in Kent. (Photo courtesy of Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
(Photo courtesy of Pierce County Sheriff's Office)
In Kent, a suspected mail thief is behind bars after a detective caught him red-handed stealing from neighborhood mailboxes.
The arrest happened at approximately 8 a.m. last Saturday after the detective spotted a 24-year-old man opening mailbox after mailbox along a street. When confronted by the detective, the suspect said he was collecting the mail for other family members and that he would only look at it, then put it down.
“I literally found it,” the suspect said, according to bodycam footage from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
“Come on, dude. I’ve been doing this job for 25 years,” the detective responded.
“I’m not going to nothing other than truth,” the suspect said.
Mail Thief Caught Red-Handed
Stealing mail can have serious consequences, in this case, the mail thief is caught red handed and lands himself in jail with a felony crime.
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— Pierce Co Sheriff (@PierceSheriff) May 28, 2026
In all, 17 boxes were opened, and mail was stolen from 10 homes — including a package containing medication.
He’s now booked into the Pierce County Jail on 10 counts of mail theft, third-degree theft, and two confirmed warrants for possession of a stolen vehicle. The detective then returned all 10 pieces of each victim’s mail, including the important medication.
“The day ended nicely with a wonderful thank-you note from the victim to our social media page!” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office stated. “Our detectives are working hard each day solving crimes, and even though you may not see them, they are always watching.”
Contributing: KIRO Newsradio
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