Because of the help of some alert area residents, Ventura County Sheriff's Department deputies from the Moorpark Police Department on Thursday arrested a man for mail theft, according to a statement issued by the VCSD.
The suspect, Jonathon Dixon, 20, of Missouri had been selling cleaning products door to door on the 4300 block of Lantern Lane when, according to the statement, neighbors observed him take some mail from near the front door of a home. The witnesses reported the incident to the police department, and Moorpark patrol deputies responding to the call found and detained Dixon nearby on Laurelhurst Road, and were able to recover the pieces of mail, the report said.
The deputies also discovered Dixon was selling door to door without the proper solicitor's permit, which is required of such salespeople in Moorpark. The solicitor’s permit must be worn on the outer most garment, and clearly indicates that it was issued by the City of Moorpark.
The sheriff's department reminds residents to be careful when dealing with door-to-door solicitors and to call law enforcement if they believe the solicitors are selling without the proper permits or may be involved in other criminal activity.
"The fact a solicitor has a permit does not mean the solicitor may not have criminal intentions, but it does aid law enforcement in the event crimes occur," the Sheriff's statment said.
