Stolen Mail: Pair Arrested in Milpitas With 'Large Quantity of Stolen Mail'

MILPITAS, CA — Police arrested a woman and a wanted man after finding drugs and a large amount of stolen mail inside their van late Wednesday night in Milpitas.

At around 11:55 p.m., an officer stopped a 1995 tan GMC Vandura inside the Wal-Mart parking lot located at 301 Ranch Drive, according to police.

The van had a 2017 registration sticker even though the registration for the van had expired in 2015.

The officer learned the driver, identified as 34-year-old San Jose resident Tamara Phillips, had a suspended license and was on probation in Santa Clara County, police said.

The van's passenger had initially refused to give the officer his name. The officer however was able identify the man as 36-year-old Felix Taplin, also from San Jose, according to police.

The officer learned Taplin was wanted by both the San Jose and Palo Alto police departments.

After detaining Taplin, officers searched the van and inside found 12 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a backpack filled with a large quantity of mail taken from various San Jose addresses, police said.

Officers then arrested Taplin on suspicion of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance for sales, transportation of a controlled substance for sales, possession of drug paraphernalia, providing false identification information and for the two outstanding misdemeanor warrants.

Officers also arrested Phillips on suspicion of possession of stolen property, driving with a suspended license and violating probation.

The two were booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail, according to police.

— Bay City News; Images via Milpitas Police