Two men face federal charges after a robbery of a postal carrier in Harvey, with one also accused of firing at inspectors
So, here’s what went down. Ahmel Holmes, just 18, allegedly held up a female postal carrier while she was doing her job on East 158th Street. This happened just before 10 a.m. on January 8. He reportedly approached her with a gun and demanded her stuff.
After that, he searched her pockets and even hopped into the postal truck to grab a tub of mail. Crazy, right?
The police in Harvey had already detained three people, but one was let go later.
Right after the robbery, postal inspectors spotted the trio hanging out near an alley. When they got closer, 19-year-old Jesus Santillan, from Harvey, allegedly pulled a gun and fired at them. Thankfully, the inspectors were unharmed and didn’t shoot back.
They chased Santillan into a nearby house and arrested him. They also found Holmes there and took him into custody.
Holmes is facing serious charges for armed robbery, which could land him up to 25 years in federal prison. Santillan is charged with using a weapon against postal inspectors, which could mean up to 20 years for him.
Santillan is stuck in federal custody for now, and Holmes has a detention hearing coming up on Tuesday afternoon.
