Police arrest suspect after he shares own wanted photo on Facebook

23 Jan 2014

A suspect is now in police custody in Pennsylvania in the US after he spotted his own wanted picture on the police department’s Facebook page and shared it on his own page.

Officers at the Freeland Police Department had been trying to track down 35-year-old Anthony Lescowitch Jr, who was wanted on several charges, including aggravated assault.

A mere three minutes after the police department posted Lescowitch’s photo on its Facebook page in an effort to try and track him down, the man himself shared the photo with his own Facebook friends, The Citizens’ Voice reported.

Police then homed in on him by having an officer, TJ Rentschler, pose as a woman on the social network. Rentschler struck up a conversation with the suspect about his wanted photo, and the suspect revealed key information about himself.

Rentschler, still posing as the woman, then arranged to meet the suspect at an undisclosed location. When Lescowitch arrived at the location, officers placed him under arrest without incident.

Lescowitch and three other people have been charged in the 14 July robbery and assault of a man.

Lescowitch has been ordered held in lieu of US$25,000 bail.

The Freeland Police Department also updated its Facebook page after Lescowitch’s capture:

Freeland Police Department wanted photo

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com