Hundreds of letters, postcards and packages that were stolen from mailboxes of residents in Cohasset, Massachusetts were found strewn across yards and roadways in town, according to police.
Thieves swiped mail and packages from dozens of homes -- right off peoples doorsteps and out of their mailboxes -- on Jerusalem Road between Hull Street and Forest Avenue, and on Forest Avenue and its side streets Thanksgiving evening into Black Friday, Cohasset police said.
Police say they've identified more than 30 victims so far. They say some of the packages were stolen, while others that the thieves didn't want were simply thrown out.
"Yesterday was a holiday, some people were away and some mail may have been left in the mailbox in the last couple of days so the timing wasn't that good," Cohasset Police Lt. Michael Lopes said.
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The string of crimes has left Cohasset residents on edge.
"I'm shocked to hear this is going on," Joseph Laprise said.
"It's unsettling," Erik Romito said.
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Romito says officers stopped by his Cohasset home Friday morning to tell him about what happened and to also ask him to check the video from his Nest camera.
"I went through it. I didn't see anything. Overnight it's hard to see. You see some lights go by but police wanted me to send the footage to them," Romito said.
"It's scary," Cohasset resident Jenny Abbadessa said. "We hope whomever did it will stop or get caught."
Police are also reminding residents to ask their neighbors or family to pick up their packages while away, or require a signature when it's delivered so it's not left sitting outside.
Anyone who finds stray mail or packages is asked to take them to the Cohasset Police station. The police department is now working with the United States Postal Inspection Service to identify the suspects and return mail and packages to the intended recipients.
