Police: Robbers targeting UPS drivers

SUGAR LAND, TX (KTRK) -- Local delivery drivers are on alert after three armed robberies over the past three days.

Police are trying to determine whether they are connected, but they all have similar circumstances. The latest happened Monday morning in Sugar Land.

Sugar Land police say a man held a UPS driver up at gunpoint on Ellicot Way, and took his UPS shirt, and his truck.

"I was leaving the neighborhood and I saw one police car coming in, no lights. Then I saw a second car come in," says Brenda Onstead. "So I made a U-Turn and followed them over here and saw them talking to one of the neighbors."

It didn't take long to find the truck abandoned just a few streets over on Farrell Ridge and Legend Park Drive. Police tell us all the packages were on the floor and ripped open, but they don't know what was taken. Brenda Onstead lives just down the street from where the truck was dumped.

"And I saw the UPS truck but it didn't look strange because that's where we all get our mail, that's where the mail comes for this side of our neighborhood," she says.

We've confirmed there have been at least three more robberies similar to this one in the last week or so. One was in Missouri City. And a FedEx driver and UPS driver were robbed separately on Saturday near Katy.

"They told us this morning to be aware of our surroundings, and that a supervisor got robbed on Saturday in the zip code of 77083. They said they took his shirt and his wallet," says "Vicky."

"Vicky" works at with the man who was robbed Monday morning and asked that we not use her real name. So for the purposes of this story we're calling her "Vicky."

She tells us she and the driver who was robbed Monday were both in a meeting at the UPS center in Stafford when higher-ups told them about Saturday's robbery.

"I'm definitely concerned because it could have been me. It could have been any other driver," she says.

"Vicky" tells Eyewitness News that she has serious concerns for her safety.

"They're definitely not afraid if they're robbing a man. But if they rob a woman, they could push us in the back of the truck. We could be raped. We could be pulled away. It could be anything for us because they may feel we're more vulnerable than a man."

Drivers are not allowed to carry weapons. "Vicky" says she'd like to see that change.

Police tell us another man in a four door Chevy followed the truck Monday, and they believe that may be how the suspect got away.

UPS says it is working with the respective law enforcement for the investigations. A spokesperson also says UPS visibility systems will identify if there are any missing packages, and they'll contact the shippers.