Richard Buchholz

Local senior aims to catch mail box-wrecking vandals

Richard Buchholz is putting up a $1,000 reward in an attempt to catch vandals who struck at homes in his neighborhood.

By MIKE SPENCE
The Pueblo West View

Richard Buchholz lived in Arvada for more than 30 years and saw his neighborhood deteriorate to the point that he kept a gun by his bed.

After retiring as an engineering mechanic for Keebler Foods, Buchholz moved to Pueblo West and has enjoyed the peace and quiet living here provides.

But the community's growing population has caused some problems for Buchholz and his neighbors. Vandals have damaged his mailbox four times. The first three times, Buchholz cursed the culprits under his breath and replaced the posts and bent the box back into working condition.

But the fourth incident, which occurred during the night of Nov. 18, prompted Buchholz to say enough is enough.

"I'm offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the people who did this," Buchholz said.

The vandals damaged Buchholz's mailbox, as well as seven others nearby along a stretch of West Hahns Peak.

"I cannot say who did what, but some of these people had expensive mailbox enclosures put up," Buchholz said. "Why somebody has to do this is beyond me."

Damage to mailboxes is a regular occurrence in Pueblo West. The Pueblo County Sheriff's Department processes incident reports on damaged mailboxes weekly. In most cases, there is little deputies can do. To catch a culprit, they have to be caught in the act, or implicated by others. Neither happens very often.

Buchholz is betting that $1,000 will bring witnesses forward.

View photos/Mike Spence Vandals damaged a number of mailboxes along West Hahns Peak Avenue during the night of Nov. 18. One of the residents, Richard Buchholz, said the latest incident was the fourth time his mailbox had been damaged. He offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprits of the damage to the houses on his street. 'Maybe this will make them wonder who their friends are if they can get $1,000 for turning them in,' Buchholz said.

"I will pay $1,000," Buchholz said. "Even if it doesn't work, the people who did this will wonder who in the hell their friends are when they see someone can make $1,000 if they turn them in."

Buchholz hopes to involve not only the sheriff's office, but local post office officials, as well.

"If mail is not delivered because it is a damaged box, then we should call in the Postmaster General," Buchholz said. "The mail has to be delivered. If I don't get mail because somebody damaged my mailbox, it should be a federal offense."

Buchholz isn't sure what or who caused the damage. He figures it was at least two people.

"It almost looked like a pipe bomb," Buchholz said. "They stuck something in there and they had to work to get it out. It had to be at least two of them. One walking. One driving."

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