Thieves steal 500 live cockroaches from mailbox

February 12, 2018

MARINA, CA (KSBW/CNN) – An entomologist who ordered 500 cockroaches for a study says she hopes the critters ran all over the thieves who stole them from her mailbox.

Rosalinda Vizina, an entomologist studying roaches, says her neighborhood in Marina, CA, has experienced an increase in mail theft recently.

“One of the boxes had been left open. It looked like it was pried open, and all the mail was gone. So, the post office was telling us about the mailbox thieves that have been happening all the way down the street,” Vizina said.

Police say the thieves were likely hoping to nab a tax return or W-2 form, which isn’t uncommon this time of year.

But these thieves got more than they bargained for: Vizina had ordered 500 live cockroaches.

The creatures were part of a study she’s conducting.

“I feel bad for the roaches if they got smushed or tossed or something like that. For the thieves, I hope they went everywhere,” Vizina said.