By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
Video shared on Facebook helped the Hays Police Department with identifying suspects, ultimately leading to arrests, following a string of burglaries in Hays this month.
On June 8, the Hays Police Department received multiple burglary reports, with at least five in one day, according to Hays Police Chief Don Scheibler.
He said it was determined that the thefts were reported from vehicles that remained unlocked overnight.
On the following evening, similar reports came in, along with reports of two stolen vehicles.
During the evening, potential suspects were captured on video.
"We shared that video on our Facebook page and based on a tip that we received on that Facebook page patrol officers were able to go out and identify some juveniles who were out after curfew," Scheibler said. "And based on those follow-up investigations, arrests have been made for all the recent burglaries and stolen vehicle cases."
He credited the tip and the work of the patrol division for the arrests.
And while the suspects are in custody and the vehicles returned to their owners, Scheibler said the situation is a stark reminder to keep vehicles free of valuable items and locked when unattended.
He also asked parents to help ensure they are aware of their children's activities overnight.
"People need to know where their kids are at. And if your kids are out after dark and they're up to no good, that's going to be a problem," Scheibler said. "This was a case of kids being out after curfew and engaging in criminal conduct."