Investigation underway after bags of mail found dumped in Los Angeles-area parking lot

An investigation is underway after authorities reported finding piles of unopened mail dumped in two Glendale, Calif., locations this week.

Glendale Police Sgt. Christian Hauptmann said United States Postal Service personnel requested assistance with “possible stolen mail or whatever was dumped in an alleyway” on Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Times reported. Hours later, a second call came in from a business owner who witnessed a similar incident in a parking lot nearby.

A local CW affiliate obtained footage from outside a spa that shows a Budget rental truck backing into a gate. A man then pulls bags of mail and parcels from within the vehicle and tosses them to the ground.

The Postal Service declined to comment on the incidents and whether they were related.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement, crime prevention and security arm of the Postal Service,” spokesperson Evelina Ramirez said, according to the Times. “In order to preserve the integrity of their investigations and to prevent fundamental unfairness to the subjects of those investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service does not comment on any ongoing investigations.”

The footage comes as Democrats have sounded the alarm about changes to the Postal Serviceby the Trump administration and said service changes may result in voter suppression in the presidential election.

On Thursday, Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) filed for a preliminary injunction against the service changes, days before the footage emerged.

“President Trump’s sabotage of the USPS is un-American. It’s an attack on free and fair elections and our right to vote. No matter who you support, your right to vote is sacred,” Becerra said in a statement. “Remember to register early and make your voice count. In California, we’ll continue to stand up for every citizen and do our part to keep our elections safe and secure.”