A call about a suspicious person seen looking into mailboxes in a Turlock neighborhood led to the arrest of a man suspected of stealing mail in Merced County.

Shortly before midnight on Thursday, the Turlock Police Department received a call from a resident on Volk Avenue. The resident stated a man was walking around the neighborhood looking into mailboxes.

Officers arrived at the scene and did not initially locate a suspect, but did find a black sedan that the resident said the man was driving.

Numerous items of mail were visible inside the sedan, said Turlock Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Parmley.

Officers conducted surveillance on the vehicle and after a few hours the suspect returned to the vehicle and was detained.

Inside the vehicle, officers found mail that was addressed to several different names and addresses in Merced County.  Officers also located some checks that had been altered and forged, Parmley said.

Juan Perez, 40, of Waterford, was arrested and booked on theft and forgery charges.