Carson residents say coyote concerns halt mail delivery in neighborhood

CARSON, Calif. (KABC) -- Residents in a quiet Carson neighborhood say concerns about aggressive coyotes have led the U.S. Postal Service to stop delivering mail to some homes, leaving neighbors frustrated and worried.

"We're currently not getting our mail," said Tom Williams, who has lived in the neighborhood for nearly 75 years.

Williams said he was one of several neighbors who received a USPS notice stating, “we curtailed the mail delivery to your house because your dog...”

Williams doesn't have a dog.

He said he took the notice to the post office, where, he said, USPS officials told him the wrong notice had been delivered. According to Williams, he was told the actual reason mail delivery had been stopped was because of coyotes in the area.

Just last week, a coyote attacked a 4-year-old boy a few miles away. The boy is expected to be OK, but the incident left his family shaken.

“I was so scared because I know how bad it could have been,” the boy’s mother said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the coyote was euthanized after confirming it was also responsible for an attack in February.

Some Carson residents say coyotes have become more common in the area.

“They’re all here now. They’ve migrated into this area,” said Ron Argueta, who lives nearby.

Argueta said in the Keystone area, "there’s no more cats there. They’ve all been eaten."

Neighbors on Maleta Avenue said they feel caught between concerns about safety and the loss of regular mail service.

“I’ve got insurance, standard things that come, and I could possibly be hit with late fees if I don’t get my mail,” Williams said.

For Williams, the disruption is especially difficult. He said going to the post office to pick up his mail is challenging because of a health condition that makes it hard for him to walk.

ABC7 reached out to USPS to ask how many neighbors are affected and how long mail delivery will be curtailed, but had not yet received a response.