Police stumble on 3 men making off with mailbox

Perhaps they should have stuck to email.

New York police stumbled on a trio of men trying to make off with a mailbox early Friday morning.

It was just after 3 a.m. when officers said they noticed three men carrying the mailbox toward a minivan and cramming it into the back of the car.

Two of the men fled on foot, police said. One, 30, was arrested on the spot. Charges are pending.

Mail theft is an ongoing concern for the U.S. Postal Service and local police departments.

This week, police in Yonkers, New York, issued an alert about theft from mailboxes. Three men were arrested after police said they tried to pry open the doors of the mailbox and pull the mail out through the deposit slot.

“Mail theft is a serious crime because of the potential for financial loss, identity theft, and the inherent privacy violations,” Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said.