Attempted robbery of Arlington Heights letter carrier follows string of similar cases in Chicago

After a string of similar cases in Chicago, a letter carrier was the victim of an attempted robbery Saturday afternoon in Arlington Heights, authorities confirmed Monday.

The letter carrier was in his delivery truck near the intersection of Campbell Street and Dwyer Avenue when he was targeted, police said.

Arlington Heights police referred additional questions to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which is taking the lead on the investigation. Officials there didn't immediately provide additional details Monday.

Arlington Heights police declined to provide a description of any suspects or say if a weapon was used or implied, citing the pending federal investigation, but they did confirm there were no injuries during the attempted robbery.

Authorities said the case matches similar crimes in Chicago in recent weeks and months.

On Saturday, Chicago police released a community alert about a dozen armed robberies of letter carriers from March 7 to April 5, mostly on the West Side. Police said suspects armed with semi-automatic handguns - sometimes working in groups of up to three - approach the letter carriers and demand their postal keys "by threatening force." After getting the master keys, which can access groups of mailboxes, the offenders flee in a waiting vehicle.

The postal inspection service last week also put out a wanted poster offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of two people who robbed a letter carrier in January on South Francisco Avenue in Chicago.