ABERDEEN, Md. — Caught on camera---a pair of men loading a basketball goal on the back of a truck.
“Our officers responded and made contact with the victim,” said Aberdeen Police Capt. C. William Reiber, “The victim informed them that their portable basketball net was stolen from the curbside of the residence.”
But what police viewed as crucial evidence that could help identify the suspects, the victim’s neighbors recognized as family.
'Thieves' in viral police post are actually family members
“We had the camera catching the picture of it, and we found out that the person that was loading the goal was my wife’s niece’s boyfriend, and the driver of the truck was my wife’s cousin,” said Eric T. Brown.
When police posted a picture of the suspects on their social media page, the supposed theft quickly became the talk of the town.
Some speculated the men could have thought it was placed on the curb for trash collections or were hoping to scrap it for a quick buck, but with their pictures now going viral, they contacted police to explain themselves.
“My sister-in-law has the same one, and somebody that lives in my sister-in-law’s house sold the goal, and so somebody wanted the goal, because it belongs to my sister-in-law’s grandson, so they thought we had it and gave it to the neighbors, and they came and got the goal,” explained Brown.
The so-called suspects have since returned the goal, and the victim is not pursuing charges, but police say they were right to publicize the property crime.
“It’s a tough economy so when someone is deprived of their properties, a theft of $700, that put that person out,” said Reiber, “So if we’re able to leverage our social media network, put those images out there, then in this case, it ultimately returns an item back to the person that’s at a loss, it’s a win for everybody.”
Well, not so much for the men portrayed as brazen thieves in a social media post that drew comments from across the country.
“It had went as far back as Texas,” said Brown, “People were chatting about it, but it was all just a misunderstanding.”
“You never thought you’d make national news this way?” we asked.
“Never in my life,” he responded, “I hope it would be the last.”
