Police: Woman Crashes Vehicle After Stealing Mail In Cottonwood Heights
Jul 18, 2019, 11:20 AM | Updated: 1:53 pm
Photo: Cottonwood Heights Police Departmetn
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah – A woman suspected of stealing mail from multiple homes was arrested after she fled authorities and crashed her car, police said.
According to Cottonwood Heights Police Department, a citizen witnessed a woman in her 50s stealing mail in the east side of the city Thursday morning. The suspect was later identified as Tawnya Foster.
The resident reported Foster to police and the proceeded to follow her until police arrived in the area.
“At that point, when we tried to initiate a traffic stop, (Foster) began driving recklessly to get away from us and ended up rolling the car,” said CHPD Sgt. J.D. Tazoi.
Woman (50) seen stealing mail from the east side early this morning. Ran from officers and rolled her truck on Union Park. She had active arrest warrants and officers recovered mail from 28 different addresses & 48 separate victims. Sgt JD Tazoi is PIO. Well done officers! pic.twitter.com/O9Gy0yzG23
— CH Police (@CHPolice) July 18, 2019
Authorities said she crashed the GMC Sierra she was driving in the area of 1300 East and Union Park Avenue, where she then attempted to flee on foot. Police were able apprehend her at the crash site. There were no injuries.
“Officers recovered mail from 28 different addresses (and) 48 separate victims,” according to a tweet from CHPD.
Tazoi said Foster had several felony and misdemeanor warrants for forgery and theft.
“She’s certainly no beginner,” he said. “She’s very seasoned.”
Mail thieves are generally looking for cash as well as checks and credit cards they can use fraudulently, Tazoi said. They also tend to look for documents such as bank statements and vehicle registrations.
“Just pick (your mail) up as soon as you can,” Tazoi said. “Preferably don’t let it sit overnight. Typically these guys will hit when night falls and even more so in the early-morning hours.”
He noted that many thefts happen between the hours of 3 – 6 a.m.
“That’s actually when a lot of vehicle thefts occur, as well,” Tazoi said. “Lock your car doors. Get your mail as soon as you can. If you’re going to go out of town, stop the mail from coming altogether.”
“Just try to be proactive in that respect,” he added.
