Newspaper delivery driver robs Arroyo Grande home

June 14, 2014
James E. Randall

James E. Randall

A newspaper delivery driver was arrested for robbing the home of an Arroyo Grande woman while she was on vacation, just days after she informed the local news paper she would be out of town. [SLO New Times]

In January, Jeannie Miranda notified the San Luis Obispo Tribune she would be on vacation, so that her newspaper delivery would be canceled while she was away. A few days into her vacation, Arroyo Grande Police discovered that her home had been burglarized. The thief had taken more than $30,000 worth of jewelry, electronics and other valuables.

In late March, a police detective informed Miranda that an Oceano man arrested for burglary in Caldwell, Idaho had one of her suitcases, her business card, and several pawn shop receipts for items taken from her home in his possession.

Officers booked James E. Randall, 42, into the Canyon County Jail for nine burglaries counts, all allegedly committed in Idaho.

Randall later told investigators from the Arroyo Grande Police Department that he works as a fill-in driver for a San Luis Obispo based service that delivers The Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

On Jan. 31, the same approximate date Miranda’s home was burglarized, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging Randall with five counts of receiving stolen property, two counts of second degree commercial burglary, one count of possession of firearm by a felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon. He has not yet been charged with the burglary of Miranda’s home.

Following Randall’s prosecution in Idaho, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office plans to extradite him back to the Central Coast.


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Although very rare, decades ago, a San Fancisco Police ring would be called for special look-out while the caller was on vacation. Enough callers were robbed to implicate the police and put them in jail too.


I actually miss the old Trib/Times driver. Drove a redneck pick-up with modified exhaust. Perfect 5:30am alarm. Even on weekends I didn’t mind waking up and realizing I didn’t have to go to work. Can’t speak for my neighbors.


How ‘bout 4 a.m., or earlier, EVERY morning. The incomparable reverberation of steel hitting steel (as in faulty “sliding door” on revamped USPS Jeep dubbed Tribune delivery vehicle of choice). Defective door not being attached at the bottom, is hinged at the top and is now free to swing away from said Jeep and swing back in with an impact that can be heard blocks away. Even after a call to The Tribune, this unforgettable morning jolt continued for several more years until a new delivery person took over the route. Another proof that The Tribune truly cares about public opinion!


While this is an unfortunate incident (burglary), it does seem like this is perfect “red meat” for us anti-Tribune folks, and a tiny “ra-ra” for CCN. Yeah, it should have been covered (and not covered up); yeah, it is good to know if one finds themselves in a similar situation, etc. Still, I cannot help but think this is more piling on to the Trib. Really, anyone still reading that fishwrap is not going to be very well-informed anyway, or worse, believe everything in print because “that’s just the way it is.”


Trib = bad


CCN = good


OK. Got it.


What the heck? Do you work for the Trib?


Try reading the entire post before asking questions and looking sheepish.