Martinez Man Faces Charges Of Robbery, Mail Theft, And Carjacking Of Postal Service Vehicle

From the County District Attorney’s Office:

Martinez, California – On February 2, 2023, a United States Postal Service (USPS) worker was robbed in Martinez, and their mail truck was stolen by 35-year-old Joshua Scott Anderson.

Charges were filed on February 28th against Mr. Anderson by the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office. The robbery of the carrier’s postal vehicle key and theft of the USPS mail truck occurred around 10:30 am at the Lotus Apartments on the 3900 block of Alhambra Avenue. According to reports, Anderson approached the carrier and used force to rob the Postal worker of their key and the mail truck – which contained letters and parcels. The stolen mail truck was recovered about 30 minutes later, but several trays of mail and parcels were missing.

Following an investigation, Anderson was arrested and charged with second degree robbery [PC211], carjacking [PC215(a)], driving or taking a vehicle without consent [VC10851(a)], and mail theft [PC530.5(e)]. The complaint also lists an enhancement for prior convictions of vehicle theft, special allegations for committing a felony while on probation, and prior convictions of first-and second-degree burglary, vehicle theft, and identity theft.

Anderson is currently in the Martinez Detention Facility. He was arraigned on the charges today (Wednesday, March 1, 2023) in Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa in Martinez.

In a statement, San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge, Rafael Nunez, said, “The Postal Inspection Service takes threats to our employees and the theft of mail very seriously, and we will vigorously pursue those who commit such crimes. Postal Inspectors worked closely with the District Attorney’s Office and our partners at the Martinez Police Department and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office on this case.”

Incidents of mail theft and Postal carriers being robbed – sometimes at gunpoint – have increased nationwide. The safety of USPS employees is paramount, and employees have received training on what to do if they are robbed. However, Postal Inspectors urge the public to report any suspicious activity involving mail trucks or postal carriers.