Most people who commit a crime try to leave as little evidence behind as possible. Two California men apparently didn’t get that memo, because investigators say they left behind a very specific kind of clue: photos of themselves in the act.
According to Fox News, authorities in American Canyon, California say two men broke into a local business on July 6 and made off with more than $100,000 worth of tools, copper wire, and vehicles. That’s not exactly a shoplifting spree. That’s a full moving-truck operation, and it takes some planning to pull off. Whoever hit this business clearly knew what they were after.
What they apparently didn’t know was how to keep their phones out of the crime scene. Police say evidence recovered during the investigation included photos that allegedly show one of the suspects mid-burglary, essentially documenting his own alleged crime in real time. If you’re going to steal a small fortune in copper wire, maybe don’t turn it into a photo shoot.
That decision, whatever the reasoning behind it was, reportedly gave police exactly what they needed to identify the suspects and track them down within just a couple of days.
How Police Connected the Dots
According to the American Canyon Police Department, officers responded to a burglary call in the 1100 block of Green Island Road. During the investigation, they identified two vehicles connected to the crime and shared that information with neighboring agencies. That kind of quick regional coordination matters a lot in cases like this, since stolen tools and copper wire can move fast once they hit the resale market.
The following day, the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office stopped one of the vehicles and detained the driver, identified as 53-year-old Daniel Lemas of Hayward. Police say the alleged selfie photos were part of the evidence tying him to the scene. Lemas was booked into the Napa County Department of Corrections on multiple felony charges.
A Second Arrest Follows Two Days Later
On July 8, the Hayward Police Department stopped the second vehicle linked to the case and detained its driver, 49-year-old Dennis Tylij, also of Hayward.
American Canyon police responded and arrested Tylij on a felony conspiracy charge, and he was booked into the same Napa County facility.
Stolen Property Recovered in Follow-Up Search
Investigators later executed a search warrant at a home on Arden Road in Hayward, where they say they recovered some of the stolen property. Lemas has since posted $25,000 bail and been released, while Tylij reportedly remains in custody.
For a burglary involving six figures’ worth of stolen goods, this one wrapped up remarkably fast, and it’s hard not to appreciate the irony. Plenty of car enthusiasts know the value of a good tool collection or a set of spare parts sitting in a shop. Losing that much gear in one night would sting.
At least in this case, the alleged evidence trail practically walked itself into the police station.