Social media sleuthing leads to arrests in St. Lawrence County

TOWN OF DE PEYSTER, New York (WWNY) – Jonathan Cole started his business to build community. Over the summer, he did it in a different way, tracking down crooks that tried to steal a catalytic converter from his pickup.

“I was indeed surprised with how much and how quick I was able to get a lot of information once people were aware of what happened,” said Jonathan Cole, Oxxshire Creamery’s co-owner.

People were made aware through postings on his Oxxshire Creamery Facebook page. He already had some info. A neighbor had confronted the would-be thieves and Cole himself ran into one a short time later. But tips on Facebook were key to identifying them.

“We were surprised with how prevalent and how much people are aware, in at least small communities, of what’s going on,” said Cole.

All the tips were turned over to the sheriff.

Last weekend, the case wrapped up with the arrest of 35-year-old Kyle Daniels on conspiracy and attempted theft charges. Earlier, they had arrested 35-year-old Mark Tripp on numerous charges in the alleged crime, including two felonies.

You might think crime takes a break, especially outdoor crime, in the winter weather. But no, not far from here, they’re having a little crime wave right now.

State police report Jan. 16 cash and credit cards were stolen from three vehicles in Brier Hill and Hammond. They have the usual tips to prevent that: lock your car, don’t leave valuables in it. And another, make sure you have charged batteries in those security cameras. In one of the cases, the car owner didn’t.

Copyright 2022 WWNY. All rights reserved.

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