Mail Theft In Fremont: Transient Arrested

FREMONT, CA — Fremont Police detectives arrested a transient out of Fremont in the Home Depot parking lot in Newark. Forty-four-year-old Carlos Lopez was booked into the Fremont City Jail for 2 counts of mail theft, as well as outstanding warrants from Milpitas and San Jose for alleged burglary and possession of a stolen vehicle.

On Sunday, Fremont Police arrested 2 men as they allegedly rifled through stolen mail while sitting in a vehicle: 20-year-old Christopher Villalobos of Fremont and 27-year-old Jason Hewitt of San Leandro.

Police consider Lopez, arrested Tuesday, a suspect in a series of mail theft cases that began in May. He is suspected of stealing mail from 2 United States Postal Service mail trucks as well as burglarizing the mailroom of the Archstone Apartments several times over the last month.

Community Cameras caught various photos of the crimes, including a stolen U-Haul pickup truck used in some of the thefts. In fact, during one of the thefts from the USPS mail trucks, photos show the bed of the pickup truck filled with stolen mail.

Fremont Police detectives from the Special Operations Division used private video surveillance to cement Lopez as the suspect.

Once identified, undercover detectives began searching for Lopez in various cities and eventually found him in Newark. He was arrested Tuesday in the parking lot of the Home Depot in the 5400 block of Thornton Avenue.

>>Related: Fremont Police Warn Of Uptick In Mail Theft

Lopez has numerous previous arrests for burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of stolen vehicles, and drug related arrests. He is currently on probation for possession of a stolen vehicle.

If you have any information regarding Lopez's arrest, contact Det. Matthew Floresca at 510-790-6900 or mfloresca@fremont.gov

As for Villalobos and Hewitt, police were called to an apartment complex after three people were seen allegedly going through stolen mail while sitting inside a vehicle, one of whom had a handgun tucked into his waistband.

A team of police officers safely took the three into custody. According to police, when they searched the vehicle they found a loaded handgun, stolen mail, and illegal drugs including cocaine and oxycodone.

Villalobos was arrested on suspicion of possession of an unregistered and loaded firearm, possession of a controlled substance while armed, and possession of a controlled substance.

Hewitt was arrested on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, and 2 warrants for felony evading and felony burglary. He is currently on probation for burglary. Hewitt's prior arrests include suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property, and various drug arrests.

Villalobos and Hewitt were booked into Santa Rita Jail and have since been released.

The third person was not arrested but is on probation for robbery with prior arrests for suspicion of possession of firearms, kidnapping, identity theft, and various property crimes.

Additional charges involving the stolen mail may be filed.