3 juveniles focus in string of mail thefts

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Sheriff's Sgt. Joe Reynaud, foreground left, and deputies Jeremy Hash and Adrian Gonzalez, right, sort mail collected as evidence in a rash of mailbox vandalisms and mail thefts.

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LAS CRUCES - Three juveniles are the targets of a sheriff's department investigation into a string of vandalisms and mail thefts.

A vehicle stopped by a sheriff's sergeant at 1:40 a.m. Thursday in the Shalem Colony Area was found to be occupied by three 17-year-olds - two boys and one girl - in possession of what the sheriff's office said was numerous pieces of mail.

Deputies believe the mail might have been meant for mail boxes along Shalem Colony Trail, Rocky Acres, Chavez Road, Whispering Pines Court, Meadow Lane and Taylor Road, which were vandalized and had their contents removed.

Authorities are asking victims of any such crimes to contact central dispatch at (575) 526-0795 to file a report.

Deputies are sorting through the mail in an attempt to find its intended recipients. The U.S. Postal Service has been notified, since tampering with mail is a federal offense.