Mail carrier chases down package thieves, is thanked in viral post

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- A Michigan mail carrier is being praised after he chased down a group of package thieves and his actions went viral.

A photo shared on Reddit by Grand Rapids resident Nathaniel George shows a letter he found accompanying a damaged package delivered to his home.

The letter, signed by a customer service supervisor, read:

"Your letter carrier delivered your package at 11:28 a.m. on December 30. As he was finishing his loop he noticed 3 teens pick up your package and start walking down the street. He jumped into his vehicle and chased them down yelling at them. They threw your package and took off running. Your carrier retrieved your package and brought it back to the post office. It is being re delivered to you today damaged. Sorry for the trouble this may have caused you. If you have any questions call me."

"The U.S. Postal Service doesn't play games," George wrote.

He said the package contained protein powder he purchased from Amazon.

"Just the audacity of it, this is a nice area and neighbors look out for each other," George told WXMI-TV. "The fact they went up on the porch to grab the package is a little alarming."

The thief-chasing mailman was identified as Louie Kunst.

Kunst said the teens tried to deny the theft.

"I asked, 'Where's the box?'" Kunst said. "And they acted like, 'We don't know what you're talking about.'  I said, 'No, where's the box? I know you have it, I saw you take it off the porch. Where is it now?'"

He said they dropped the box while fleeing when he attempted to take their picture.

Kunst's supervisor, Leon Mclain, praised the worker's actions.

"I can't say enough about Louis and what he did to represent the U.S. Postal Service," Mclain said. "I guess it's reached quite a far way and in different states, so it's a great thing he did."