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LEHI — It's called the season of giving but it seems someone in Utah County is taking.
At the time of year when many people receive more cards and packages in the mail and on doorsteps, police said they are seeing a spike in mail thefts. The way one person is going about stealing in a Lehi neighborhood is just strange, police said.
"We knew a card was coming for my stepson from his grandma," said Amie Schoedel, a Lehi resident.
The card contained an eagerly awaited gift for the 10-year-old — just $10. But when the family went to the mailbox, they found that the card had been torn open and the money had been removed.
Schoedel said she couldn't believe someone took the time to carefully go through her mail, remove the money and leave the damaged card behind, so she posted online about her frustrations.
"I posted it on a neighborhood Facebook page because I wanted people to know," she said. "And other people said it had happened to them."
Less than a mile away, Erica Jones received a not-so-happy birthday greeting.
The same thing had happened to her: card torn open, money removed, torn card left in the mailbox.
"I honestly thought it had been torn open and just fallen out," Jones said.
Detective Thayne Call of the Lehi Police Department said police have seen this happening "quite a bit" in the city. With reports of packages being taken from porches during the holidays and with a greeting card grabber on the loose, Call said police want the community to be aware and alert.
"If you see something strange, report it," he said. "It takes a community to catch this individual. You know if they're going to do it once, they're going to do it again."
Call emphasized that the best chance for the thief to get caught is for someone to report it.
Anyone with information regarding the card thefts is encouraged to contact the Lehi Police Department at 801-768-7110.
- Consider getting a locked mailbox
- Find out what time your mail usually arrives and pick it up promptly
- Do not mail cash
