Four masked men allegedly broke into an Arlington apartment building early Tuesday morning and stole mail from the mailroom.
The theft happened at the Camden Potomac Yard apartments, on the 3500 block of S. Ball Street, near the Alexandria border.
“At approximately 2:07 a.m. on March 5, police were dispatched to the report of a suspicious person,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “The preliminary investigation indicates four male suspects entered the residential building and stole mail and packages.”
“An employee observed the suspects and called police. The suspects then fled the scene in a white SUV prior to police arrival,” Savage continued. “The suspects are described as Black males with slender builds, approximately 5’10”, wearing ski masks and all black clothing. The investigation is ongoing.”
Savage said police are investigating whether the suspects might be responsible for other mail thefts.
“Mail addressed to other locations were recovered during the course of the investigation into the larceny,” she said, in response to an ARLnow inquiry about other mail thefts in the county. “As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives are working to determine if other similar incidents occurred at additional residential buildings.”
Arlington residents whose mail or packages are stolen should file an online police report, Savage said.
Local public safety watcher Alan Henney posted on social media the following memo to residents, from building management, about the mail theft.
Last night at approximately 2:07 AM 4 masked individuals entered the north mail room and broke into several mailboxes. Our on-duty concierge immediately contacted Arlington County Police who arrived at 2:18 AM after the individuals fled minutes before. A police report has been filed and Officer Laprise and Costello-Mays have requested that any residents with missing mail to contact them directly to make a report. The officers that responded also informed us that this was not an isolated incident, but this occurred at multiple properties in the local area.
Although our building does have cameras and controlled access, crime can still occur. Please be mindful of your surroundings and report any suspicious activity to Arlington County Police at 911 or non-emergency at 703-558-2222.
Henney had previously posted about a vehicle theft from the building’s parking garage, which happened over the weekend.
ACPD confirmed the incident to ARLnow, sharing the following crime report item.
STOLEN VEHICLE, 2024-03020072, 3500 block of S. Ball Street. At approximately 10:23 a.m. on March 2, police were dispatched to the report of a stolen vehicle. The preliminary report indicates that at approximately 7:18 a.m., the suspect entered the residential garage and stole the victim’s vehicle, a gray 2013 Honda CRV with Virginia license plate TUA9377. The suspect is described as a Black male wearing a beanie, dark colored coat, sweatpants and black shoes. The investigation is ongoing.
Same building as the car break-in on Sunday. This message is from today. @ARLnowDOTcom #DMVCrime https://t.co/ieTL2vaVPr pic.twitter.com/8ELwL110H1
— Alan Henney (@alanhenney) March 5, 2024
