Reward Set in Failed Post Office Holdup

The U.S. Postal Service has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who tried to rob the Porter Ranch post office branch, officials said Tuesday.

The suspect, a clean-shaven, bespectacled man who waited in line Monday afternoon before presenting a window clerk with a note demanding money, is believed to be the same person who attempted to rob the main Northridge post office July 31, Postal Service Inspector Terry Thome said. In both incidents, the would-be robber fled without getting any money.

“Before anyone gives him anything, he ran out the door,” Thome said. “This is very atypical. . . . You wonder if he’s lost his nerve.”

On Monday, a man entered the post office branch at 19300 Rinaldi St. about 2:30 p.m., Thome said. He gave the window clerk a note saying he had a gun, demanded cash and reached for his pocket as if he had a weapon.

The suspect, who spoke with an accent, is described as an Asian man of about 30, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, and standing about 5 feet 7. He was wearing dark pants, a khaki shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a tie, Thome said.

Officials urged anyone with information to call the Postal Service’s 24-hour hotline at (626) 405-1208.