A man has been arrested in New Jersey after an attempt to hide from police officers in a cupboard was foiled by his decision to post about it on photo messaging app Snapchat.
Officers had been tracking Christopher Wallace for weeks on arrest warrants for burglary and violation of administrative release, but they managed to locate the fugitive when, according to an extraordinary (and hilarious) Facebook post by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, he became “cocky” which “led to his downfall”.
After Wallace revealed the house he was staying in through Snapchat, members of the public (presumably the wanted man’s friends and account followers) reported his location to police. Four officers went to the residence but a search came up empty.
“Here’s where things went bad for him,” wrote the Sheriff’s Office. “While the deputies/officers were wrapping up their search, Wallace posted again on Snapchat. This time he posted that the police were searching for him in the house, and that he was hiding in a cabinet. Again, we received phone calls.
“A search of the kitchen cabinets turned up some food, some pots and pans, and also a pair of feet. The pair of feet just so happened to be attached to a person, and that person was Christopher Wallace. He was removed from the cabinet, and placed under arrest.
“All of that, brings me to the moral of the story. Always remain humble, my friends.”
Christopher Wallace. Photo via facebook.com/somersetcountysheriff
“That’s how it happens”
Also arrested was 20-year-old Erika Hall for what police described as “hindering apprehension”.
“Let’s put it this way, when the police ask you multiple times if someone is in the house, and you answer repeatedly that they are not in the house, and that you have not seen said person in ‘weeks’, you’re just going to get arrested. That’s how it happens,” they posted.
The Sheriff’s office thanked the public for their help in matter, describing the pursuit as a “classic example of how all of you, working with all of us, gets the job done”.
Just last month a 16-year-old was arrested for murder after sending a selfie of himself with the victim’s body via Snapchat.
Maxwell Marion Morton is facing charges of first-degree murder, homicide and possession of a firearm by a minor in connection with the death of Ryan Mangan after sending the picture to a friend who managed to save it before deletion.
Using Snapchat, users can take photos that are viewable for just a few seconds before being deleted from the recipient’s phone and Snapchat’s servers.
If the name Christopher Wallace rings any bells, by the way, that’s because it’s also the birth name of hip-hop legend, The Notorious BIG.
Kitchen cabinet image via Shutterstock
