By Lookout Staff

May 30, 2022 -- County prosecutors last week filed residential burglary and mail theft charges against two men caught on camera stealing mail from a Santa Monica apartment complex in Ocean Park.

The incident took place shortly before midnight on May 20 on the 2000 block of 4th Street, according to Erika Aklufi.

Officers patrolling the area were flagged down by a citizen who was chasing a mail theft suspect, Aklufi said.

They detained the suspect, who was in possession of multiple counterfeit United States Postal Service Arrow keys, which is a federal crime, police said.

Other officers arriving on scene found a second suspect inside a vehicle and detained him, Aklufi said.

Inside the vehicle, they found "stolen pieces of mail, packages (and) electronics," as well as crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia, she said.

"As officers investigated the incident, they discovered multiple mail packages on a sidewalk, dropped by the suspects as they fled from an apartment building," Aklufi said.

Officers returned the stolen mail and packages to the recipients in the building, she said.

Additional mail they recovered belonging to several victims with Los Angeles addresses was booked pending notification of the victims, according to police.

"Security footage from an apartment building was viewed showing the suspects entering the complex’s secured mail room and leaving with residents’ mail and packages," Aklufi said.

Last Wednesday, the LA County District Attorney’s Office filed residential burglary and mail theft charges against Abraham Zaragoza, a 26-year-old resident f Santa Monica, and Hector Quintanilla, age 27 of North Hills.

Anyone with information related to these individuals or the incident is encouraged to contact our Investigations Division during business hours at 310-458-8451.