USPS suspends delivery service in Pasadena neighborhood after postal worker shot at

PASADENA, Texas (KTRK) -- The U.S. Postal Service has suspended its mail delivery service indefinitely to a Pasadena neighborhood after they say a mail carrier was shot at.

This happened on Thursday on Sandlewood Drive near Sandlehurst.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the law enforcement, crime prevention, and security arm of USPS, is now investigating along with Pasadena police.

"I did ask how long this is going to be, and she said it could be a week. It could be a month. It could be longer. We don't know," Rick Pena, who lives in the neighborhood, said.

Pena is looking forward to getting back his mail delivery service. His only option is a 15-minute drive to the nearest post office.

"You know it is a little wait...they got to hunt it down," Pena said.

Pena isn't getting mail because of a crime committed last week. According to the USPIS, one of their mail carriers was shot at in this area on Sandalwood Drive.

Pena says he was sitting outside in a neighbor's car at the time. He said he heard the shots and then saw two young men running away.

"They were running quite fast. Don't know if they hit the mail truck or not. We suspect they did, but we don't know," Pena said.

"After the gunfire, I wondered why all the sudden the postal delivery vehicle truck was driving pretty quick," he added.

In a statement to ABC13, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said:

The USPIS can confirm that a suspect fired several shots toward a USPS letter carrier on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Postal inspectors are working closely with the Pasadena Police Department to identify the suspect(s) and resolve this incident quickly.

"Nothing like that has ever happened here. It is a quiet neighborhood," Pena said.

USPS didn't specify exactly what houses they suspended mail to, but both neighbors on Sandelwood and Sandelhurst Drive say their boxes have been empty.

"I am waiting for the sticker of my car. We are waiting for some other paperwork, and other neighbors are waiting for important packages as well, and I was like, 'How long this is going be?'" Estela Kelly, who lives in the neighborhood, said.

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