USPS Worker Almost Run Over in Post Office Heist

A US Postal Service employee was almost run over by mail thieves who raided a post office in Orange County, California. In video that went viral after it was posted on Instagram, the woman stands in the way of a vehicle as the suspects try to drive away from the Fullerton office with stolen mail. She was pushed into the street by the car and fell to the ground. Police say the three thieves, who made off with a crate containing hundreds of pieces of mail, were arrested after officers spotted the vehicle and found the stolen mail inside, KTLA reports. The men were arrested on suspicion of robbery, mail theft, and assault with a deadly weapon.

The woman suffered only minor injuries and has returned to work, Fox 11 reports. Fullerton Police Department Sgt. Ryan O'Neil tells KTLA that the thieves snatched a bin from the post office's rear dock. The US Postal Inspection Service has launched an investigation and the suspects are likely to face federal charges as well as local charges. "I've seen a lot of stuff in my career as far as stealing mail," O'Neil says. "This is my first time seeing suspects steal a crate of mail from the post office." Mail theft is a federal crime with a penalty of up to five years in prison. Fox 11 reports that the USPS says carrier robberies are rising, with around 300 in the first half of last year. (More US Postal Service stories.)