Three arrested for allegedly stealing mail
A man and two women were arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly stealing mail from a collection box, police said.
A witness called police shortly before 5 a.m. after reportedly seeing the trio use a device to pull mail out of the U.S. Postal Service collection box near Hollywood Way and Burbank Boulevard, said Burbank Police Lt. Eddie Ruiz.
Police located the suspects – identified as Francin Level, 34, Crystal Smith, 24, and Jesus Cruz, 32 – parked in front of another mailbox near the area of Burbank Boulevard and Niagara Street in a black Ford Explorer.
A search of the car revealed stolen mail, suspected methamphetamine and meth pipes, according to police.
The suspects reportedly used an object with sticky material on the end to pull out the mail, Ruiz said.
Level and Smith were released after each posting $20,000 bail and are due in court next month. Cruz was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail, Ruiz said.
-- Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com