ANTELOPE, California (KCRA) -- U.S. Postal Inspectors are beginning an investigation into why a mailbox exploded in north Sacramento County.
It happened late Friday night in Antelope on Redwater Drive.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's explosive ordnance disposal team responded to investigate. Detectives collected pieces of the explosive device and portions of the parcel box. Since then, the Sheriff’s Office said it forwarded the case to the U.S. Postal Inspector.
KCRA 3 spoke with neighbors who said they heard the loud explosion and ran outside to see what happened.
“It was very loud, very concussive to where I even got a headache right when I heard it,” neighbor Ness Romero said. “It was like somebody just maybe might have thrown a firecracker in this old parcel locker unit and just ran off.”
Investigators haven’t officially said what made the mailbox explode.
A mailbox is considered federal property and tampering with it in any way is considered a federal crime. Those who are convicted of destruction of federal property could spend up to three years in jail and be fined up to $250,000.
If you know anything that can help postal inspectors in their investigation, call the 24-hour hotline at 877-876-2455.