Mail Dumped On 15 Freeway Near Lake Elsinore; Items Turned Over To USPS: CHP

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Mail, including possible election ballots, strewn alongside northbound Interstate 15 near the Lake Elsinore/Wildomar line over the weekend was picked up and personally delivered to the U.S. Postal Service, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The incident was first reported to law enforcement Sunday afternoon by a driver on the freeway who also photographed the debris near Grape Street.

The passerby, who reached out to Patch, was concerned because Riverside County election ballots appeared to be scattered among the discarded items.

Patch reached out to various city, county, and state agencies to confirm the report.

On Tuesday, Officer Jesus Garcia from the Temecula Area CHP Office verified the incident. He said his office was contacted regarding the apparent mail dump, but members of the Wildomar Beautification Committee had quickly arrived to clean up the shoulder. While collecting the litter, volunteers noticed what appeared to be mail and a few voter ballots, so they turned the items over to the Canyon Lake Police Department, Garcia said.

Canyon Lake police then contacted the U.S. Postal Service, which took custody of the mail, according to Garcia.

While the USPS did not provide immediate details, an agency spokesperson said Patch's inquiry was forwarded to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which handles mail-related investigations.

It remains unclear how the mail ended up on the freeway. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Temecula Area CHP Office at 951-466-4300.