Howell Police Looking For Suspect in Reported Mail Box Thefts

Residents in the Ramtown section of Howell have recently been reporting incidents of items being stolen directly from their mailboxes.

According to Sgt. Eileen Dodd of the Howell Police Department, residents are reporting that when they put items in their boxes for outgoing mail, they are being stolen. This is particularly true for checks being mailed out for bill payment and other uses. 

The report from Dodd goes on to say that the check is then being altered by the person responsible, including the name of the payee and the amount of the check written. While some instances are being reported by the banks that receive the checks, other times the residents themselves are noticing the problem when they get their statements from the banks.

Dodd said reports of these occurrences started in the middle of April and are still happening almost a month later. 

Police are looking for 43-year-old Helen Darden, who has allegedly been putting her name on the payee line of the checks and using her identification to cash them. Darden is described as a black female, 5'1" and 130 pounds. She may be driving a 1997 white Ford Sedan with New York plates FDD5163. In addition to the complaints signed in Howell, Darden also faces similar charges in Wall, Brick and Avon. It is believed Darden lives somewhere near Asbury Park. 

In light of the recent events police are encouraging residents not to put outgoing mail in their mailboxes. They are also being asked to check their monthly bank statements for any potential problems, Dodd said. 

Anyone with more information about the thefts are encouraged to contact Detective Nancy Carroll at the Howell Police Department at 732-938-4575 ext. 2884.