PORT ANGELES — More mail stolen from boxes in two areas of Port Angeles was found late on Tuesday night, bringing the total number of affected homes to 45 in Port Angeles and at least 10 in the county.
So far, the Port Angeles police have no leads as to who may have stolen the mail, said Sgt. Barb McFall of the Port Angeles Police Department.
The latest mail, which came from more than 20 homes, had been postmarked — as the previous three batches had — on March 13 and 14.
Police weren’t sure if the mail had been left in mailboxes overnight or if it had been stolen during the day.
“When we took a look at the mail and where it was sent and where from, it looks like it could have been both sent and delivered that day, according to the post office,” McFall said.
“The other possibility is that it had been delivered on Saturday and this was a day job.”
The first two batches of mail were found on Saturday and the third on Sunday.
Because it had all been stolen on the same day — probably Saturday — and because of the proximity of the addresses, McFall believes that the same person or people stole the mail.
The first several affected about 20 addresses, and the one found on Tuesday more than doubled the total.
About another 10 addresses from outside the city limit were affected, McFall said.
The mail from addresses within the city limit has now been returned to the post office, where a postal investigator will evaluate the situation.
Kimberly Halloman, the investigator, did not answer multiple requests for comment.
McFall said she hasn’t heard back from the investigator either, but will continue her own investigation independently of the postal service.
Some of the mail contained sensitive personal information, such as bank account numbers, Social Security numbers and other information.
“Even though it sounds like a lot of people had checked their mail the night before and this could have been done during the day, this is a big reminder that no one should leave their mail in the box overnight,” McFall said.
She said the Port Angeles Police Department and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department were contacting the owners of the mail to let them know what items had been found.
“We believe there could be more addresses affected, but these are the only ones we’ve found so far,” McFall said.
All of the mail will be returned to the Port Angeles Post Office today.
Chief Criminal Deputy Ron Cameron with the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department said that deputies are investigating the areas of the unincorporated county affected and will return the mail to the owners soon.
A couple of tips came in on Monday and Tuesday, but neither panned out, McFall said.
The mail found on Tuesday was discovered in the same area as the mail on Saturday and included addresses in the same area on the west side of town.
On Saturday, a few scattered piles of mail were found on the 700 block of West 15th Street, while another heap was discovered on the 1700 block of West Eighth Street.
All of the mail found Saturday was from the west side of Port Angeles between A and L streets and Sixth and 15th streets.
The largest cache of stolen mail was found alongside the 3100 block of South Laurel Street at about 8 a.m. Sunday.
The mail discovered Sunday came from the Sequim area, Monroe Road, the Gales Addition and other scattered areas of the county as well as Port Angeles.
Port Angeles mail discovered Saturday was from some 15 to 20 homes in the area of Third and Cherry streets, East Fifth Street, Park Avenue, Motor Avenue, Columbus Avenue, Forest Avenue, Fogarty Street and South Laurel Street.
Mail from outside the city limit was turned over to the sheriff.
Anyone with information on the crime should call 360-452-4545.
