Date: September 14, 2017
Re: Arrest of Serial Mail/Package Thief
Fremont Police began an investigation on June 23, 2017, regarding the theft of a package that had just been delivered to the front porch of a Fremont resident. Within minutes, a woman, later identified as Danielle GONVALVES (36 y/o, Hayward), entered the victims’ porch, collected the package and immediately fled. This incident was captured by surveillance footage. Through the course of the investigation, GONSALVES was positively identified as the woman in the surveillance footage.
Fremont Police learned GONSALVES was also featured on a local news broadcast that aired on June 27, 2017. In the story, surveillance footage caught her again stealing a package from a Hayward area porch, though she was not identified at the time.
Fremont Police obtained a warrant for GONSALVES’ arrest and she was taken into custody on August 23, 2017. GONSALVES admitted to stealing the package from the Fremont victim. She was charged with mail theft and trespassing, among other crimes.
GONSALVES has an extensive criminal history that includes arrests for identity theft, fraud-related crimes, drug possession and theft.
Mail theft continues to be a wide-spread problem for Bay Area residents. In general, people who engage in mail theft are looking for money, credit cards and other items of financial benefit. It also leads to identity theft, which can cause long-reaching problems for victims.
Some ways you can protect yourself from mail theft include the following:
Install a locking mailbox, use the letter slots inside your Post Office or hand your mail to a letter carrier, pick up your mail promptly after delivery, avoid sending cash or other valuables through the mail, and pay attention to your delivery schedule and contact senders immediately if you think mail was not delivered when you expected it.
If you think you are the victim of identity theft, notify the police in your city and file a report, if appropriate. The Federal Trade Commission offers great resources for victims of identity theft at www.idtheft.gov. The site also provides excellent information on how to protect yourself from becoming a victim and has sample letters and other information for ID theft recovery.
For more information about mail theft, contact the US Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov.
You can contact Fremont Police at www.fremontpolice.org.
