Surveillance footage from a condominium complex in Aurora captured a person breaking into 19 mailboxes in a recent incident. The thefts occurred at the Sunflower Condominiums during the early hours of last Monday and Wednesday.
The thief also broke into the postal service door and although the mailboxes have since been repaired, the repair costs totaled more than $2,000.
The vice president of Sunflower’s HOA, Daniel Widrich, expressed his dismay at the situation, stating, “Waking up to that wasn’t pleasant. We’re not just dealing with financial loss but the psychological impact of feeling unsafe in our own homes.”
To prevent similar incidents in the future, Widrich mentioned two potential solutions: installing reinforced steel mailboxes or constructing a new fence. However, the anticipated cost for either option ranges from $15,000 to $30,000, a significant sum for the close-knit community.
Robyn Glynn, a condominium owner, said both options present different challenges. Since the mailboxes were built more than 40 years ago, reinstalling new mailboxes would be a lengthy process. A fence would be quicker, but would provide challenges for the older community members and those with disabilities.
“It’s very frustrating,” Glynn said. “We have a lot of elderly people that may not have direct deposit set up for their Social Security checks, he’s got no right to take that away from the people that live here.”
The condominium complex has posted several photos of the thief online and around the community in the hopes of finding the person behind these crimes.
Image courtesy of Robyn Glynn.
A United States Postal Service representative told the complex that it was one of 16 complexes that have been victims of mail theft in recent months. Widrich told us the complex has also dealt with other petty crimes in the past year, including two other cases of mail theft.
Mail theft is an issue on the rise across the country. The USPS said between 2018 and 2023, 9,000 suspects have been charged with mail theft crimes.
“This community is fed up,” Widrich said. “The community is angry, we’re somewhat helpless here.”
Aurora condominium complex raising concerns after mail thefts caught on camera
