Vandal uses newspaper to set mailbox on fire

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara Fire crews responded last night to a burning mailbox in the 400 block of Canon Perdido St.
Sgt. Mike McGrew, a Santa Barbara Police spokesman, said it appeared the suspects, who were seen by witnesses fleeing the area on skateboards, lit a copy of the Daily Sound on fire and stuffed it into the mailbox.


When authorities arrived on the scene and opened the U.S. Postal Service mailbox, letters were still on fire. He said the mailbox, which is emptied at 3 p.m. each day, was about a quarter of the way full.
In his 22 years on the force, McGrew said he’s never seen a mailbox lit on fire. He did say a couple of years ago a string of newspaper racks were set ablaze.
While one officer was dusting the newspaper racks for fingerprints, McGrew said whoever is responsible could face arson charges and whatever punishment is deemed appropriate by the federal government. Tampering with U.S. Mail is a federal offense punishable by jail time, according to the U.S. Postal Service.