Two people wearing masks and gloves robbed a postal delivery contractor Feb. 1 at the Montara post office, stealing his postal keys and leaving him bound for more than three hours until authorities arrived, postal inspectors said.
The U.S. Postal Service is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the masked suspects.
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The San Francisco processing center grew concerned when the contractor failed to arrive. A supervisor was dispatched to Montara to investigate. At about 10 p.m. he arrived to find the contractor tied up in a small vestibule at the rear the post office with his hands and feet bound. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and investigators from the U.S. Postal Service responded. Both agencies declined to release details about the crime, including the type of material he was bound with.
The masked suspects, reportedly a pair of men, stole a set of keys used to access the post office. They also took some of the contractor's undisclosed personal belongings.
Authorities said the stolen keys cannot access individual post office boxes. They believe no mail was taken during the heist. As a matter of precaution, locals are advised to keep an eye on their mail to ensure nothing was stolen.
The motive for stealing the keys is unknown.
In response to the robbery, the locks to some post office doors and blue streetside boxes have been changed.
Coastside residents, both in Montara and elsewhere, were surprised that such crime could touch their quiet, rural community.
Standing in front of the post office Thursday morning, Riley said it was curious the heist happened in Montara, a comparatively small and isolated location.
"What's in there that you'd want?" he said, rhetorically.
The crime is a federal offense punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The U.S. Postal Service is considering it a priority investigation.
People with information about the case are asked to call postal inspectors at (415) 778-5857.
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