By Chris Caraveo
Twitter: @ChrisCaraveo31

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of at least two suspects who stole mail from an Anthem area post office and later from a postal worker in Avondale.

The agency that investigates crimes involving the U.S. mail system said Tuesday that the men first stole mail on Jan. 7 and 10 from the Daisy Mountain Post Office on 43rd Avenue, north of the Outlets at Anthem.

Authorities said they stole more mail around 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 13 from a postal employee working near Dysart and Thomas roads in Avondale.

In the Jan. 7 incident, authorities said they have video footage of three suspects, while a postal employee noticed at least two suspects in the Jan. 10 incident. On Monday, Jan. 13, the carrier who experienced the robbery also saw two individuals.

"They are committing these acts in daylight hours, which is unusual and rare behavior for mail thieves," a USPIS spokeswoman stated via email. "Mail theft typically occurs in the dark, late night hours."

Both men were wearing black ski masks decorated with red and white circles. They sped away in a silver 2016-2019 four-door Toyota Corolla. The vehicle may have a missing hubcap or a spare tire on the front driver’s side. The rear windows are tinted dark.

Anyone with information on the case can call 1-877-876-2455 and say “Theft” when prompted.

"We are hopeful the public knows something regarding these suspects," the spokeswoman stated. "The ski masks are not everyday attire in Arizona and someone must know something."

USPIS and USPS management are reminding employees about safety, being aware of their surroundings, and being a good witness to any sort of crime they might see. 

"We know the customer addresses that could be effected based on the trays that were stolen," the USPIS spokeswoman stated. "All of those customers were mailed a letter notifying them they could be a victim and if anything they were expecting is missing, how to report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

"If an effected customer is missing a credit card or check they were expecting, these items are important to report to us. Obviously, if an expected credit card is missing, they should call the company and have it cancelled and new one issued.  If an effected customer is concerned about their personal information being compromised, they can call the credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) and have a fraud alert issued on their identity so no credit can be opened without their notification first."

Officials are working to ensure facilities are as secure as possible and getting mail off the dock as quickly as possible upon delivery.  People who find abandoned mail or mail equipment such as mail trays should report that to officials as well.

As for residential mail theft, authorities always encourage people to remove their mail from their mailbox as soon as possible.

"Never let mail stay in your mailbox overnight," the USPIS spokeswoman stated. "This is the best way to avoid mail theft. We also encourage customers to never send money through the mail.  Always use a more secure form of payment which can be cancelled at the bank and reissued such as cashier’s checks and money orders."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.