After a burglary at Crush Comics in Castro Valley, California, on March 22nd, store owner Josh Hunter and manager Cole Sanders took matters into their own hands according to CBS News. The police have a lot of crimes to investigate so this was pretty low on their priority list. Josh started checking places like Facebook Marketplace, Amazon, Nextdoor, Offerup, Bonanza and eBay.
One of their comic books popped up for sale on eBay. Josh purchased the item, enabling them to get the seller's name and address.
They then discovered an Instagram page with a Lego bandit figurine linked to the same name and reached out to other stores recently burglarized in the area. Two other stores confirmed their stolen items were also listed on the same eBay page. With the suspect’s photo and additional online clues, Josh and Cole pieced together a strong case.
They took all of their evidence to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department. With all of that evidence they secured a search warrant being served at the home of Noorullah Amiri . There authorities recovered tens of thousands of dollars in stolen goods, most of which were returned to the victims. The store owners have since stayed in touch, and Josh jokes that they might even turn the story into a comic book of their own.
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