Parcels Swiped in New Canaan, Mail Near Darien-NC Border [UPDATE]

Update 9:57 a.m., Friday:

At about the same time that packages were being removed from the doorsteps of some homes and put on others in New Canaan, Darien police received a report of stolen mail left in the woods.

Here's what Darien police said about the incident in that town:

At about 9 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 20, a Talmadge Hill Road resident told police he found 14 pieces of mail in a wooded area on the side of the road near his house. (The south side of the road is in Darien; the north side, New Canaan.)

All of the mail was addressed to homes on Talmadge Hill Road, Sherry Lane and Hollow Tree Ridge Road—houses that were relatively close to each other and near the Darien-New Canaan border near the Talmadge Hill Railroad Station.

Five of the 14 pieces of mail had been opened, and the nine that weren't opened were stamped, outgoing mail.

Police believe the mail was removed from mailboxes within a day or two of the report. The incident remains under investigation and the mail was turned over to the Darien Post Office for delivery. The U.S. postal inspector's office was notified, as well.

Original article, 10 a.m., Thursday:

Due to reports of holiday parcels and flats disappearing from doorsteps and mailboxes, particularly in the Canoe Hill Road neighborhood, New Canaan Police are advising residents to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.

According to police some of the missing items have been turning up on other people's properties. For example on Thursday, Dec. 20, a resident of Brookwood Lane reported that she found an application for a major credit card in her mailbox that was addressed to a Canoe Hill Road resident. In addition she found an empty package next to her mailbox addressed to a Devonwood Lane resident that, according to the packing slip inside, had contained a pair of blue jeans worth $72.

Police said the resident contacted the addressee of the jeans parcel and learned that she had in fact ordered a pair of jeans that had never arrived. The resident then reported the discovery to police.

New Canaan Police said similar activity had been reported by police in Darien in recent weeks.

In addition on Wednesday, Dec. 19, a resident of Parade Hill Road reported that a package which had been delivered to his house had been swiped by a male suspect.

The resident reported that the package had been delivered to his porch the previous day — however around 10:38 p.m. the man's son observed what appeared to be a thin black male wearing a white hood, dark pants and white sneakers walking away with the package in the front yard.

Police said the suspect was captured on the home's video surveillance system.

Police have informed the USPS and are investigating.