“Two years ago, a victim laid her cell phone down at a checkout counter, forgot and left it behind. A thief stepped up to the counter and put the phone in his pocket. This was caught on security video. However, the suspect was not a known person to police. The case went cold until a Walmart cell phone location began reporting traded in phones to LeadsOnline. The phone’s serial number triggered an NCIC hit to the investigators. The phone had been traded in a year ago. The individual who traded the phone was tracked down and she told investigators who she bought the phone from. A file photo of the suspect was compared to the video footage for a match. The suspect was then confronted with the video evidence and confessed.”
Det. Sgt. Scott Stephens
Purcell Police Department
Oklahoma