GPS helps police track suspect in electronics theft

Wichita police jailed a 38-year-old man on suspicion of burglary and felony theft after a phone dealer tracked stolen iPads and cellphones to his address using GPS.

Police spokesman Lt. James Espinoza said officers responding to an alarm in the 4400 block of West Kellogg around 1 a.m. Thursday learned two tablets and two phones were missing from the store after a break-in through its front glass door. Espinoza said the electronics were traceable using their internal GPS capabilities, and police tracked them to a home in the 200 block of North Dodge, near Seneca and Douglas.

“Upon contacting the homeowner (on North Dodge), officers discovered that a 38-year-old male was involved in a burglary,” Espinoza said.

Video that captured the burglar further helped police connect the 38-year-old to the break-in, he said. The man later was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 2:20 PM with the headline "GPS helps police track suspect in electronics theft."