Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 15 Sand Canyon Mailboxes Stolen : Crime: Thieves halt delivery to neighborhood. Vandalism and theft has been common in the posh area in recent years.

SANTA CLARITA —  Rain, sleet and snow may not be enough to stop the mail, but thieves in the wealthy Sand Canyon neighborhood of Santa Clarita found a way to halt delivery Wednesday by making off with a load of mailboxes.

At least 15 residents along two streets in the canyon woke up to find their mailboxes--and often the posts supporting them--had been stolen overnight.

“I just thought it was a bunch of kids,” said Keith Wambach, 58, a 15-year Sand Canyon resident. “You know, whoever gets the most wins the prize.”

Deputies with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station said they were investigating the case, but had no leads Wednesday.

Vandalism and theft of mailboxes in Sand Canyon have been common in recent years, according to officials and residents. In November, two local teen-agers were arrested on suspicion of placing “acid bombs”--plastic soda bottles filled with a weak chemical mixture--in two mailboxes, although neither caused serious damage.

Glen Boyette, a letter carrier who delivers most of the canyon’s mail, said the latest thefts were a bit unusual.

“This is the first time they’ve taken the mailboxes, posts and everything,” he said. “Usually they just go by with a baseball bat and knock them over.”

A cluster of about 10 mailboxes and their support posts were stolen along Sand Canyon Road at the entrance to Warmuth Road, where about a dozen homeowners pick up their mail. Only two mailboxes placed in concrete foundations remained and one of those was dented and listing to one side.

Five more mailboxes were stolen from Mill Meadow Road, a half-mile private street leading to seven large, gated homes. The two left behind were mounted in brick support posts.

One woman who has lived on Mill Meadow Road for more than 20 years said the street was “one of the best in the area” when she moved in, but an increasing number of teen-agers in the area seems to be causing the trouble.

“They come up here and congregate,” she said.

Boyette said he hand-delivered mail to about five residents who were standing outside as he drove past, but those not at home during the day will have to get a new mailbox before he can deliver their mail.

Wambach said the mailbox he purchased Wednesday was his third since he moved in.

“I bought a cheap one this time,” he said.