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Woman In Mercedes-Benz Arrested In Thefts Of Hundreds Of Packages

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles police have arrested a woman who they say has been stealing mail and packages all over Southern California.

According to police, the woman drove around in a new Mercedes-Benz, grabbing mail and packages from doorsteps. Video shows a woman who appears to be the suspect in action, calmly taking parcels from the front porch of an upscale home in Studio City.

David Pulido says he may be a victim.

"A woman got out of the car like she owned the place, walked over to the front door very nonchalant, picked up the package, and they were gone in about 15 seconds," said Pulido.

Police are also looking for a man who was driving the Mercedes. They say he has a tattoo on his right bicep.

Pulido's home is equipped with security cameras. He turned the video over to LAPD investigators, who received security video from other victims as well. Using those videos, police identified and arrested Tagui Abrayan of Van Nuys Thursday morning.

tagui-abrayan
Tagui Abrayan of Van Nuys was arrested after police say she stole mail and packages from hundreds of people. Credit: LAPD

Police said they found mail and packages in Abrayan's home belonging to about 300 residents of the San Fernando Valley, Malibu and West LA.

Detectives suspect identity theft may have been among the motives.

The U.S. Postal Inspector is also looking into the case, because police say they found a homemade mail key used to open apartment mailboxes. An official-looking U.S. Postal Service hat may have been used as a disguise.

David Pulido says he's not concerned about the package he lost, but he does worry about home security.

"People are actually bold enough to pull onto a driveway, pull out of a driveway and take whatever they want," Pulido said. "This has been a safe neighborhood and all of a sudden I feel like it's changed."

The LAPD recommends tracking shipments so you know when to expect them. Some shipping companies, including FedEx, allow customers to request a time frame for delivery.

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