BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Two mail carriers were robbed at gunpoint Friday in Central Florida, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
USPIS said the robberies, which took place hours apart in Melbourne and Orange County, are believed to be connected.
The first robbery happened around 12:30 p.m. at 6015 Farcenda Place in Melbourne while the second happened just before 2 p.m. at 2118 Allegheny Court in Orange County.
Deputies said the Orange County postal worker’s arrow key, which is used to open other mailboxes, was stolen after a gun was displayed.
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According to postal inspectors, the suspected thief’s vehicle in both cases is a gray Nissan Altima.
HAPPENING NOW: Deputies in Orange County investigating after a mail carrier was robbed this afternoon. @USPIS_Orlando says a worker was also robbed in Melbourne earlier today.
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No other information on the robberies is available at this time.
This comes after the U.S. Postal Service announced Friday it would replace tens of thousands of old keys used by postal carriers and install thousands of high-security collection boxes to stop a surge in robberies and mail thefts.
Postal officials said they are replacing 49,000 so-called arrow locks with electronic versions to make them less appealing to potential thieves.
The announcement came days after the National Association of Letter Carriers expressed outrage when The Associated Press reported nearly 500 postal carriers were robbed last year, the outlet said.
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