Officers from the Amarillo Police Department's ProActive Criminal Enforcement (PACE) Unit, in collaboration with the Potter County Sheriff’s Office and the Amarillo Postal Inspector’s office, have apprehended two individuals connected to a series of postal box burglaries and mail thefts across the area.
The investigation began when PACE Officers received information from the Postal Inspector regarding a recent surge in postal box burglaries. Detectives, who had been investigating similar cases, provided additional evidence, including video footage of the suspects involved in the crimes. The investigation gained further momentum when the Potter County Sheriff’s Office identified two suspects and their vehicle, which matched those seen in the cases Detectives were working on.
PACE officers traced the suspects to a residence in the 4600 block of Preston through further investigation. Officers conducted surveillance on the potential suspects and conducted further investigation around the city. Officers conducted a traffic stop as the suspects returned to the residence and arrested the driver, identified as Tiffany Hickman, female,10/13/84, for traffic violations. The passenger, Quentin Buetow, male, 9/9/98, was found with a makeshift postal master key commonly used to open mailboxes at post offices. Buetow was also in possession of suspected methamphetamine. Inside the suspect vehicle, officers discovered recently stolen packages and additional mail linking the suspects to multiple theft cases.
Officers were given consent to search the residence on Preston and found numerous stolen items, including mail, forged checks, stolen credit cards, IDs, property boxes, and four pistols taken in the storage unit burglary. Detectives responded to the scene and assisted in securing the evidence. The suspects also gave officers the location of a storage unit they were using where additional stolen property was recovered.
Buetow was booked into Randall County for possession of methamphetamine, theft, and possession of criminal instruments. Hickman was also booked into Randall County on charges of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information involving 10 to 50 items, burglary of a building, and possession of criminal instruments. So far, the suspects have been linked to mail thefts in at least four cities.
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