Dozens of Facebook pages are dedicated to crime in Alaska. However, one of them is particularly popular. Stolen in Alaska allows people to post pictures of their stolen property and explain the circumstances under which it was taken.
Monica Lee used the page when her Volkswagen Jetta was stolen from outside her parents’ Bayshore neighborhood home earlier this month.
“It was amazing what the community did,” Lee said. “Everyone came together.”
During the days following the post, some people said they saw her car being used as a getaway vehicle and posted photographs of surveillance footage that appeared to show the VW.
“It was crazy because throughout the day, my phone would be going off with all kinds of leads,” Lee said.
Several days after the original Facebook post, a friend of Lee’s spotted the car at an East Anchorage apartment complex parking lot and recognized it from the post. Lee said she worked with the Anchorage Police Department to recover the vehicle, which she said was found with two other stolen cars.
APD said theft victims can increase their chances of recovering property by posting information about the item on Facebook. APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro said the department frequently receives tips from people who say they saw an item that was listed as stolen on social media.
“We also have officers on pretty much every shift that monitor those pages or are a part of those pages,” Castro said.
Lee said her car was found in relatively good condition, although two car seats were stolen from the back seat. She recommended using social media to anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation.
“I strongly suggest it,” she said.
Lee said the person who stole the vehicle has not been caught.
KTVA 11’s Eric Ruble can be reached via email or on Facebook and Twitter.
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