Thieves Steal GPS-Fitted Equipment, Leading Police Straight to Them
A shop on the 2500 Block of Prosperity Ave. in Tulare has been the target of repeated thefts recently. Suspecting they would be broken into again, investigators opted to place bait equipment on the premises of the shop. These particular items were rigged with GPS trackers.
The owners of the shop were also provided Smartwater CSI for their use. According to Smartwatercsi.com, Smartwater is a clear liquid which can be applied to property and is only visible with the use of an ultraviolet black light.
On February 11th, thieves pried back the metal siding of the shop and stole $3300 worth of product, including a plasma cutter and a Honda generator. The generator had a GPS tracker which allowed Tulare County Sheriffs to track its movement around Tulare and locate the vehicle in which the suspects were driving around.
29-year-old Andrew Sanchez, the passenger, tried to make a run for it on foot but was arrested not far from the car. Jennifer Hooper, the driver, was also arrested and the pair were booked into Tulare County Adult Pre Trial Facility on a variety of charges.
The stolen plasma cutter was found as the investigation continued. Using a UV black light, the unique marking the owner had made on the item with the Smartwater CSI identified the plasma cutter as the one stolen from the shop.
