Residents of northeast Bakersfield neighborhood install camera to catch mail thieves

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) – Caught on video, a man appears to be drilling into a clustered mailbox. The video was not recorded by chance.

“We have had enough!” said Mike Akroush, Vista Finestra resident, “So we decided to put a camera up there.”

In the quiet northeast Bakersfield community, neighbors noticed a trend and knew they had to take matters into their own hands.

“This has happened to us three times in the last year, year and a half.” said Mike Akroush, “It’s always… He used a drill to drill the locks.”

These last few days have been turbulent for Akroush and his wife, now victims of identity theft.

“My wife’s social security, her driver’s license, her phone number.” said Mike Akroush, “He tried to open a credit card with a target, he used one of his cards at a supermarket.”

And the solutions are not arriving quickly enough, the mailboxes remain unusable.

“It takes them a few weeks to repair them.” said Mike Akroush, “We have to pick it up at the post office.”

Akroush asked the USPS to move the cluster box to a more visible location, such as the front of a house. Hoping to discourage these rapid flights, but nothing has changed in years.

Akroush thinks the cameras could have been placed in the mailbox earlier.

“If they could, they should have.” said Mike Akroush, “After the second time, or the third time, or something like that.”

Neighbors reported the thefts to Bakersfield police, but have not received an update. 17 News contacted BPD about this case but has not received a response.

If you have been a victim of mail theft, you can report the incident here or find the United States Postal Inspection Service here.