PINE HILLS, Fla. – The U.S. Postal Inspection Service on Friday announced it put up a reward of as much as $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man who investigators said robbed a USPS letter carrier in Orange County on Oct. 4.
The robbery occurred in the 1100 block of Nowell Street in Pine Hills, according to a flyer advertising the reward.
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The culprit was described as a man believed to be 18-20 years old, seen on video wearing a white, hooded sweatshirt, long pants and a white face mask, investigators said.
Two pictures were included with the flyer, one of the scene from afar and the other of a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee used by the assailant.
The USPIS said in a tweet containing the flyer that it was working with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to seek a resolution.
@USPIS_Orlando and the @OrangeCoSheriff is seeking your help in identifying this suspect that robbed a mail carrier. If you have any information about this incident, please contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (say “Law Enforcement”) Reference Case 3849657 pic.twitter.com/XP2NfrrEkT
— USPIS - Orlando (@USPIS_Orlando) October 21, 2022
Jane Bright lives on Nowell Street and told News 6 she knows the mail carrier who got robbed earlier this month.
“It’s frightening, it’s very frightening to have a strong-armed robbery on your street,” Bright said.
According to the incident report, the suspect approached the mailman and told him he wanted his key.
At first, the mailman thought the man was joking but then realized he was being serious and had his hands in his pockets, implying he had a weapon, the report shows.
“He said give me your keys, so he knew it was serious and he gave him the key which he didn’t want to do but you know when you’re forced in a situation that’s not very good,” Bright said.
She added this is not the first time something like this has happened in her neighborhood.
“There was another one down in the north end of north Nowell and it was a different mail carrier,” she said.
Those who may see the suspect should take no action to apprehend them on their own, the flyer states.
Anyone with information about the robbery is urged to contact the USPIS by phone at 1-877-876-2455, say “Law enforcement” and reference Case No. 3849657. According to the flyer, all information will be kept confidential.
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