A male whose cell phone and tablet were stolen from a car parked in the driveway of their northwest Barrie home did some detective work, but still needed police assistance to retrieve some of his stolen property.
Police say an officer was in the area of Mulcaster and Mcdonald Streets on an unrelated call for service Thursday evening when he was approached by a male who indicated he had tracked a stolen phone to the immediate area.
The male told the officer he thought the theft had occurred on Friday, April 19, and though it was not initially reported to police, the officer determined from the investigation that followed that the individual was the rightful owner.
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"A short time later, two audible tones were sent to the phone, which clearly identified who was in possession of it. A 40-year-old male was taken into custody and arrested for possession of property obtained by crime under $5000. The tablet was not located and remains unaccounted for," police said in a news release.
Police say the victim only wanted his phone back and did not wish to proceed with criminal charges.
As a result, the phone was returned. The male who was arrested was released unconditionally.
"The Barrie Police Service credit the victim of the theft for approaching and involving the police in the recovery of the stolen phone. Police remind the public to never deal with situations like this on your own as your personal safety could be compromised," police noted in their release.
