Two Tooele women face charges in connection to mail theft and vehicle burglary after a routine traffic stop in Tooele City on Feb. 19.
Lola Anderson, 19, is charged with second-degree felony receive or transfer of a stolen vehicle, 12 counts of misdemeanor mail theft, three counts of misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle. Breanna Sainsbury, 25, is charged with 12 counts of misdemeanor mail theft, misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle and three counts of misdemeanor theft.
A Tooele County Sheriff’s deputy stopped the vehicle driven by Anderson in the area of 1280 N. Main St., as the front passenger head light was out, according to a probable cause statement. The deputy asked Anderson who the owner of the vehicle was, since the state database indicated it was owned by an auto body shop in Salt Lake County and she said it belonged to a Robert Johnson.
The deputy spoke with a manager of the auto body shop, who said the vehicle was stolen from a Salt Lake City location, which was backed up by a case filed with the Salt Lake City Police Department on Feb. 14, the statement said. The deputy placed Anderson under arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle and a warrant from Utah County.
Another deputy arrived on scene and said the vehicle was possibly connected to mail thefts, which had been captured on a residential surveillance camera, according to the probable cause statement. The deputy noticed there were a number of packages and pieces of mail inside the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the vehicle found 88 pieces of mail from 12 different residences, as well as the vehicle registration, insurance cards and maintenance records connected to a Tooele City residence, the statement said. The two passengers in the car, including Sainsbury, were placed under arrest for mail theft.
The second passenger, a juvenile, was identified as a runaway with an active Amber Alert and released to the Layton City Police Department, the statement said.
Tooele City police officers were able to contact a resident who verified the vehicle registration and insurance cards were taken from their vehicle during the night, the probable cause statement said. A set of stolen car keys and GPS unit were also returned to the Tooele City resident, in addition to two sets of keys that were returned to separate residents on Erda Way.
A victim of the mail theft also reported a missing tool box, which was also found in the suspect’s vehicle, the statement said.
Anderson made her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday before Judge Robert Adkins and bail was set at $15,000 and she was assigned a public defender. She is expected back in court on March 14 for a roll call hearing at 9 a.m.
Sainsbury is scheduled to make her initial appearance in 3rd District Court on March 21 at 1:30 before Adkins.