Bay Area postal attacks spark $150K rewards

Three days earlier, a different postal worker was assaulted in San Leandro in what authorities described as a seemingly random attack. The employee was coming back from a break around 3 p.m. on July 27 when a stranger approached from behind near the rear entrance of the Estudillo Station Post Office at 1319 Washington Ave. and punched her in the face. The US Postal Inspection Service released two images of a person of interest in that case and said the public should not try to approach or detain him.

The federal agency, which acts as the Postal Service’s law enforcement arm, is offering up to $150,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect in the San Leandro assault. Separate rewards are being offered in each investigation, underscoring how seriously federal officials are treating the attacks on mail workers in the Bay Area.

Authorities said California has been among the states hardest hit by attacks on postal workers. The crimes, they added, are not linked to politics or election issues. Instead, investigators say criminals are after physical items that can provide access to valuable mail, a reminder that the nation’s mail system remains a target when thieves think they can profit from it. For everyday Americans, the key takeaway is simple: anyone who used those Bay Area postal locations should watch financial accounts closely while investigators work these cases.