The moral of this story: If you ever have anything stolen from you, you may want to check eBay or Craigslist.
A Vista, Calif. resident’s home was broken into while he was out of town.
“High value speakers, stereo equipment, electronics and musical instruments were stolen,” San Diego Sheriff's Department spokesperson Art Wager said.
Days later his stuff appeared for sale on Craigslist. Detectives set up an undercover sting, agreeing to buy four speakers from the alleged seller.
Last Friday, they met 29-year-old Michael Parris in the parking lot a Wal-Mart in Vista. Once police determined the speakers belonged to the victim, Parris was arrested on the spot.
“The suspect, who was taken into custody, received text messages from an apparent accomplice,” Wager said.
The suspected accomplice, 26-year-old Bart Barvarella, was also arrested. Investigators say the suspects knew the victim was out of town because the second man arrested lived two doors down from the victim.
Both suspects are in Vista Jail on charges of burglary, conspiracy and possession of stolen property. Investigators say they routinely monitor websites for stolen items, but this time the credit goes to the victim.
“The victim actually monitored Craigslist and it was a good move on the victim’s part. I would suggest victims of other crimes out there keep an eye out on public auction websites,” Wager said.
Since, the break-in the victim has moved out of that apartment complex. Ironically, neighbors said that the second suspect, Bart Barvarella, was arrested while helping the victim load his belongings into a moving van.
