Texas Man on Most-Wanted List Shows off Guns on Instagram, Gets Arrested
We often warn people going on vacation to not be so busy on social media, for fear of tipping off potential burglars. Well, the same advice might apply to criminals on the run from Johnny Law.
Texas police tracked down a man on their most-wanted list, all thanks to an Instagram post.
Guns on the 'Gram
It's one thing to get arrested for a crime you stream on social media. It's quite another to draw the attention of law enforcement by posting a GPS-tagged video of your arsenal of weapons while currently hiding out from said law enforcement.
Eighteen-year-old Christopher Ricardo Gonzalez, a suspected murderer tied to a series of home-invasion robberies in the Dallas area, was a fugitive, on the run since last year and added to Texas' most-wanted list last month. Gonzalez is no longer missing, since Dallas cops used an Instagram post flaunting his firearm collection to track him to Woodland Hills, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California.
Detectives in Dallas gave the GPS coordinates for the Instagram post the LAPD, whose fugitive team tracked Gonzalez to a rented Chevrolet SUV. The Los Angeles Times reports Gonzalez sped off in the SUV, struck a power pole, fled on foot, and was eventually chased down by a police dog. Gonzalez is allegedly tied to the Bloods criminal gang and also wanted for leading an organized crime group.
Social Media Spooks
Despite all evidence to the contrary, criminals still seem surprised when cops show up on social media. The NYPD has been on Facebook for years. The Secret Service is scrolling Twitter feeds for threats. Yes, you can get arrested for your Snapchats. And the cops are constantly asking Google for user information.
So if you're trying to keep your crime a secret, maybe stay off social media.
Related Resources:
- Instagram Video of Gun Collection Leads Police to Most-Wanted Dallas Man in California (The Dallas Morning News)
- Rich Instagram Showoff Convicted, Jailed for Selling Stolen iPhone (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Ohio Man Mad at Mugshot Sends Cops a Selfie, Gets Arrested (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)
- Man's Instagram Selfies Trigger Arrest on 142 Felony Charges (FindLaw's Legal Grounds)