On September 22, 2024, at around 6:57 am, the Fairfield Police Department received a call from a vigilant citizen who saw a man and woman in the area of Pear Tree Lane and Union Avenue rummaging through mailboxes and placing items into a backpack.
Responding officers quickly arrived on the scene and nabbed the naughty thieves.
A subsequent records check revealed the man had an outstanding warrant from Solano and Napa Counties and, upon searching the backpack in question, officers discovered a substantial amount of stolen mail, credit cards, checks, and identification documents.
The suspects, identified as Fairfield residents Jarmol Okpalaugo (39) and Andrea Gardiner (30), were taken into custody and booked into the Solano County Jail for conspiracy, mail theft, identity theft, and drug-related charges.
Okpalaugo was also booked for several outstanding warrants.
Led by Officer R. Hamilton, officers and a Community Service Officer spent more than five hours meticulously going through the stolen items and contacting potential victims in hopes of reuniting them with their property.
As of this post, approximately 48 victims have been identified and contacted.
The Fairfield Police Department commends the alert citizen for their quick action in reporting the suspicious activity, which led to the successful arrest of these individuals.
