Sacramento man arrested in connection with South Lake Tahoe mailbox thefts

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A Sacramento man has been arrested as a suspect in a series of mailbox thefts in the South Lake Tahoe area.

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office (EDSO) was alerted about missing mail from mailboxes in the Black Bart Avenue area. Reports were created and a vehicle and suspect description were obtained from video in the area. EDSO alerted neighboring agencies.

Just after midnight on Sunday, November 17, South Lake Tahoe Police Officer Toderean was on patrol on Lake Tahoe Boulevard when he spotted the suspect's vehicle. He conducted a traffic stop and found 37-year-old Ryan Lee Hansken in the driver's seat. Also found were drug paraphernalia and mail with credit cards inside obtained from mailboxes in South Lake Tahoe.

Hansken was booked into the El Dorado County Jail on charges of Violation of Probation, Grand Theft, Use of Bank Account Without Permission, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bail is currently set at $34,000. Hansken was still in jail in South Lake Tahoe as of Monday evening.

According to EDSO, Hansken is cooperating with the investigation.

The US Post Office is also working on the case and federal charges may be added.

If anyone suspects they were a victim in either the city or the county area of South Lake Tahoe, contact SLTPD at 530.542.6100 or EDSO at 530.573.3000.