Two men allegedly tried to rob a mail carrier in Arlington this past Friday afternoon.
Arlington County police were dispatched to N. Columbus Street just north of Route 50 — in the Arlington Forest neighborhood — around 12:45 p.m. on Sept. 5, for reports of an attempted robbery by two men, one of whom implied having a gun.
The mail carrier had returned to the post office in Clarendon by the time police were called, according to scanner traffic, which noted that the suspects and their getaway vehicle fit the description from another postal carrier robbery in Fairfax County earlier in the day.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is “the primary investigating agency for this incident,” an ACPD spokeswoman told ARLnow, deferring additional comment.
“The investigation is currently active and ongoing,” the federal law enforcement agency said in a statement.
“The US Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who has robbed or attempted to rob a letter carrier, Post Office clerk, or any other USPS employee,” the statement continued. “Armed robbery of a postal employee is a violation of Title 18, US Code Section 2114 and is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.”
A Postal Inspection Service spokesperson has not yet responded to ARLnow’s questions about the suspects, whether weapons were indeed used in the robbery, and what, if anything, was taken.
