Local News in Brief : Buena Park : Post Office Robbed; 800 Letters Taken

Burglars took nearly 800 letters from the Buena Park Post Office during a weekend break-in and left a pile of ripped envelopes nearby, police and postal authorities said Monday.

Vince Bongiovanni, a postal supervisor, said burglars entered the mail drop and box rental area inside the post office at 8082 Commonwealth Ave. between noon Saturday and noon Sunday and kicked in a wall, giving them access to the mail.

The envelopes were toted across the street to a church that is under construction. The burglars hid behind the church as they opened the mail, officials said.

“Apparently they were looking only for cash in the envelopes,” Bongiovanni said. Personal checks made out to cash and travelers’ checks were left behind, he added.

Buena Park police said it appeared that the robbers took only the mail.

“So far it’s too early to say what is missing,” Bongiovanni said. He said postal workers were calling people whose names were on envelopes found opened. “So far, no one said they had cash in the envelopes.”

It appeared that at first the burglars cut open the envelopes but later ripped them apart, Bongiovanni said.

“There are some family pictures that are torn up,” Bongiovanni said. “I don’t know what would make someone do that.”