WASHINGTON, D.C. – Residents of a Northwest Washington neighborhood are living in fear as an audacious crew of mail bandits has been caught on camera repeatedly looting apartment building mailboxes and mailrooms during a months-long crime spree. In a chilling video from a recent heist, one of the thieves can be seen peering directly into a resident’s security camera and taunting “I love you daddy” in a mocking tone.
The brash mail thefts have been plaguing the Adams Morgan area since late 2023 according to residents. Surveillance footage shows the same group of four hooded and masked individuals seamlessly teamworking to clean out mailboxes and packages. The thieves work quickly and methodically, fanning out with total disregard for security cameras capturing their every move.
“It’s really unnerving to see them so brazenly breaking into the mailrooms and mailboxes like they own the place,” said Janice Elliston, who has lived in the neighborhood for 8 years. “You can see on the videos they clearly know they are being recorded but they just don’t care at all.”
The disturbing video message left by one of the thieves went viral after being posted on neighborhood social media groups. In the footage from a smart doorbell camera, the individual looks directly into the lens while his accomplices rifle through mailboxes behind him. “I love you daddy,” he says in a mocking singsong tone before rejoining the robbery.
“Seeing that creepy video was really the last straw for me,” Elliston said. “It’s bad enough they are constantly stealing mail and packages, but to go so far as to leave those unsettling taunting messages for residents makes you feel violated on a whole other level.”
For residents already on edge from the serial mail robberies, the unsettling video message seems to be a brazen challenge and threat that the thieves plan to continue their criminal behavior without fear of consequences. Making matters worse, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has been unable to make any arrests despite having clear video evidence.
“We are working closely with D.C. police but these suspects have been extremely elusive and difficult to catch in the act,” said Michael Rodriguez, team leader for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group. “Mail theft is no victimless crime – in addition to the heartbreak of missing treasured letters and cards from loved ones, there are serious financial crimes like check washing, identity theft, and credit card fraud that often stem from these robberies.”
Despite having ultra-clear surveillance footage and deeply concerned residents, law enforcement has been unable to crack the case of the prolific mail bandits. In an effort to help break the stalemate, postal inspectors are offering up to $100,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the crimes.
But for residents like Elliston whose sense of security and well-being has been shattered, that reward seems like too little too late. She and others have started taking matters into their own hands by installing additional security cameras and even hiring private armed guard service to patrol their buildings’ mailrooms.
“We’re just sick of being terrorized and living in constant fear that our mail and packages are going to be stolen at any time,” said Elliston. “This can’t be allowed to go on any longer – something has to be done to stop these brazen thieves before the situation escalates into something even more sinister.”
As the unnerving taunts and thefts show no sign of stopping anytime soon, the close-knit D.C. community finds itself living under an ominous cloud of vulnerability. Residents are desperate for a resolution before the next chilling act by the audacious mail bandits – but with no arrests made, that long-awaited relief appears nowhere in sight.
