A man is in custody after Chicago police say he hopped into an unattended United States Postal Service truck and took off, leading officers on a pursuit through the South Loop before sideswiping another vehicle in traffic. The truck's driver had stepped away to deliver mail when the vehicle vanished, according to authorities.
The incident unfolded Saturday night, just before 8 p.m. on September 12 in the 1100 block of South State Street, according to CBS News Chicago. A USPS worker had gotten out of the truck to make a delivery when the suspect climbed in and drove off, prompting the worker to report the theft to police. Responding officers spotted the stolen truck and attempted to pull it over, but the vehicle fled, eventually sideswiping another car in traffic. No one was hurt in the collision, and officers ultimately stopped the truck and took the suspect into custody. Charges against him remained pending as of Sunday, per the same report.
A Recurring Problem on South Loop Mail Routes
This is far from the first time a postal vehicle has been targeted while briefly left unattended in the neighborhood. In November 2023, Chicago police investigated a break-in of a USPS delivery truck near Polk and Wells streets in the South Loop, where thieves made off with mail while the truck sat parked, according to footage reviewed on YouTube. And in March 2023, Chicago police issued a public alert after thieves hit three USPS trucks in a single afternoon across the Loop and South Loop, including one in the 1100 block of South Wabash Avenue, as reported by CBS News.
The dangers of a stolen postal truck extend beyond mail theft. In March 2025, a suspect in the Chicago suburbs stole a police squad car before hijacking a USPS delivery truck and crashing into a family of three, and federal authorities became involved, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Saturday's South Loop incident did not escalate to that level of harm, but the sideswipe collision underscores how quickly these joyrides can turn dangerous in dense downtown traffic.
Federal Charges Could Still Be on the Table
Because USPS trucks are federal property, the case carries potential legal exposure well beyond a standard Cook County auto theft charge. Federal mail-theft penalties can reach up to five years, according to Super Lawyers, but the specific charges that may apply in this case remain unclear.
At the state level, prosecutors could also pursue charges alongside any federal filing. It remains an open question whether federal prosecutors will pursue charges under postal law alongside any state filing from Cook County.
Federal Postal Enforcement in Chicago
The Postal Inspection Service's recent materials discuss mail-theft enforcement efforts, according to the United States Postal Inspection Service. The cited material does not detail a specific July Chicago operation or the number of charges involved.
Nationally, the Postal Service's Project Safe Delivery initiative has resulted in 109 robbery arrests and more than 530 mail-theft arrests since May 2023, according to the United States Postal Service. The Postal Service's Office of Inspector General also logged more than 800,000 mail theft complaints nationwide across fiscal years 2023 through 2025, a volume that has helped drive the agency's enforcement priorities in cities like Chicago.
Saturday's South Loop case adds to a string of recent Hoodline coverage on Chicago-area mail crime, including a federal case over 30 stolen trucks. Whether the carrier followed USPS protocol regarding vehicle key custody while stepping away for the delivery has not been addressed publicly, and it remains unclear whether any mail inside the truck was disturbed during the chase or the sideswipe collision.
