Travelling to Germany? Passport stolen from mailbox forces 3:30 a.m. Houston drive

A San Antonio woman preparing to travel to Germany was forced to make an overnight trip to Houston to replace her passport after it was stolen from her mailbox. The theft happened during a break-in at mailboxes in the Oakland Heights neighbourhood, and the man recorded on camera has not been caught.

Key facts

• A passport was stolen from a mailbox in Oakland Heights, on San Antonio's North Side, days before the owner's flight to Germany
• The traveller, Emily Espinoza, said she woke at 3:30 a.m. and drove to Houston to get a replacement passport in time
• Thieves in the cases described opened cluster mailboxes using keys for the back of the boxes
• U.S. Postal Inspector Julie Nicholson-Morgan said some such keys were stolen from letter carriers robbed on the street
• The San Antonio Police Department said the suspect is still at large

What happened to the passport?

Espinoza said her passport was taken from her mailbox during the Oakland Heights break-in. Security video from the complex recorded a man breaking into the mailboxes there, and she said her passport was among the mail stolen.

Because her flight was approaching, she said she had to leave in the middle of the night to obtain a replacement document. She said she woke up at 3:30 a.m. and drove to Houston to get her passport replaced before travelling. Espinoza said she still does not know who took the passport.

How are thieves opening the mailboxes?

Both of the cases described involved keys used to open the back of cluster mailboxes. On the Northwest Side, a man named Brian said he had been affected twice: roughly two years ago, he said, a limited-edition gaming console he had ordered was stolen before he could collect it, and another break-in followed a week later.

U.S. Postal Inspector Julie Nicholson-Morgan said some thieves have obtained those keys by targeting mail carriers. "Postal keys were being stolen from letter carriers off the street," she said.

What is being done about mail theft?

The Postal Service launched Project Safe Delivery in May 2023 to tackle mail theft and attacks on carriers. The agency said the programme has produced a 40% decrease in all mail thefts across the country since then.

What this means for travellers

Nicholson-Morgan urged residents not to let mail sit in mailboxes overnight, saying the best way to reduce the risk is to pick up mail as soon as you get home each day. For travellers, that also applies to a newly issued passport waiting in the mailbox.

The case shows that a stolen passport can mean an urgent, long-distance replacement trip close to departure. Espinoza's replacement required her to travel to Houston before her flight.

The San Antonio Police Department said the suspect in the Oakland Heights theft is still at large. Anyone who recognises the man recorded on the complex's security camera is asked to call SAPD property crimes at 210-207-7273 or email [email protected].