Mail-Fishers Caught Red-Handed Outside North Arlington Post Office: Cops

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Two men didn’t get far after police say they were caught red-handed stealing mail outside the North Arlington Post Office.

The arrests unfolded in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Oct. 29, when North Arlington police took Lewins Carmona, 19, of the Bronx, and Stavin Alvarado Rodriguez, 25, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, into custody, according to Lt. David Hudak.

The pair was spotted on live surveillance cameras trying to steal from a blue U.S. Postal Service mailbox near the post office — part of an ongoing mail theft investigation that had plagued the area since July, Hudak said.

At around 4 a.m., dispatchers monitoring the feed saw two people acting suspiciously and alerted patrol units, who raced to the scene.

Officers found Carmona and Alvarado Rodriguez still near the mailbox and detained them without incident, police said. A leather belt coated in adhesive and a metal plate — tools often used in “mail fishing” — were recovered, along with cell phones, car keys, and other evidence.

Nearby, investigators found the suspects’ white BMW sedan, where they discovered a loaded handgun, ammunition, and additional items tied to mail theft activity, Hudak said. Some of the recovered phones are believed to contain evidence linking the men to other thefts.

Both suspects were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Forgery, Attempted Theft of Identifying Information, Conspiracy to Commit Theft of Personal Identifying Information, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, police said. They were booked into the Bergen County Jail.

“This was an excellent example of proactive policing and coordinated teamwork,” Hudak said in a statement. “From our dispatchers who observed the crime in real time, to the officers and detectives who worked swiftly through the morning, everyone played a critical role. It’s gratifying to see their diligence result in the apprehension of two suspects and the recovery of a firearm before anyone was harmed.”