4 arrested after stolen mail from Costa Mesa and other cities is found in Redondo Beach

Four people were arrested in Redondo Beach after authorities discovered dozens of stolen pieces of mail from people in Costa Mesa and across Orange and Los Angeles counties, according to Redondo Beach police.

During a traffic stop at about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, police found that two women were in possession of pieces of stolen mail, as well as narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia, according to police Lt. Shawn Freeman.

The women were arrested, and while searching the vehicle, officers learned that two men were at a Redondo Beach hotel where the women were staying. When officers went there, they found two men with more narcotics and dozens more pieces of mail, Freeman said. The men also were arrested.

The suspects were identified as Charles Webb, 44, of Long Beach and Crystal Smith, 31, Lucy Hiem, 33, and Rogaciono Novoa, 59, of Los Angeles.

The mail contained checks, documents with personal information — “the whole gamut,” Freeman said. One of the envelopes was postmarked in Costa Mesa. Other pieces originated in Redondo Beach, Orange, Anaheim, San Juan Capistrano, Inglewood, Torrance, Hermosa Beach, Laguna Niguel and Woodland Hills, police said.

Officers also found evidence of mail fishing — attaching a weight and something sticky to the end of a fishing line to steal items from a mailbox.

“You might get the letter to the grandma,” Freeman said of mail fishing. “Or you’re going to get a check that someone’s mailing off to Edison or a check to the bank or whatever it might be.”

Containers of brake fluid also were found in the hotel room. Freeman said brake fluid can be used as a solvent to “wash” checks so identity thieves can fill in the blanks with money amounts and their own names and signatures.

“For identity thieves, they’re going to go for whatever easiest method or route they can to steal your personal identification and to steal your mail, to get to your checks,” Freeman said.

Freeman recommended shredding all documents containing personal information and using secured mailboxes. He also suggested getting a free annual credit report to make sure one’s identity hasn’t been used to open fraudulent credit card or bank accounts.

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