Woman arrested in Coweta after stealing U.S. Postal Service van
Woman arrested after 80-mile USPS mail truck chase into GA
An 80-mile multi-county chase ended with the recovery of a stolen U.S. Postal Service delivery van and a suspect in custody facing both local and federal charges.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - A woman is facing state and federal charges after allegedly stealing an unoccupied U.S. Postal Service mail truck in Columbus and driving it 80 miles to metro Atlanta before being caught.
What we know:
Columbus police said Marie Schuler jumped into an unoccupied U.S. Postal Service mail van after a postal worker stepped out.
She then drove the stolen vehicle up State Road 85 through Meriwether County and into Coweta County.
Deputies with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office and Meriwether County Sheriff's Office pulled Schuler over at a gas station near the intersection of State Road 17 and State Road 85.
Body camera video captured officers taking her into custody at the scene.
Columbus police took out warrants for felony theft, theft by taking and theft by possession of stolen mail.
The Coweta County Sheriff's Office confirmed Schuler was transferred from the Coweta County Jail to the Muskogee Jail, where she was booked as she is turned over to federal authorities.
What we don't know:
Officials have not revealed how Schuler managed to access the vehicle unnoticed or what her intended destination was.
Authorities have also not released details on whether any mail inside the truck was compromised or damaged during the 80-mile drive.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, who provided details on the traffic stop and arrest, as well as the Columbus Police Department.