Score a huge win for the private sector. Wal-Mart was able to capture images of a man using stolen credit cards and even get photographic images of his license plate in the parking lot. The license plate was used to track down and arrest the man who the police believes shot and robbed an elderly man.
Store surveillance video was used to help catch a suspect wanted in a shooting and robbery Saturday in Bertrand Township. Michigan State Police say an 80-year-old man went to help strangers who said they had car trouble and was instead shot. His wallet was stolen and the purchases were made with his credit cards.
Police say the suspect purchased prepaid credit cards and a flat-screen TV at Wal-Mart, and bought even more credit cards and a carton of cigarettes at Meijer.
Their vehicles — a 2001 Mercury Sable and a light blue sedan — were also caught on tape.
South Bend Police tracked the vehicle's license plate to this home on the city's west side.
It seems lately that cameras have been picking up all sorts of crime at these big box stores. About 10 days ago, a Target store was set on fire and robbed allegedly by it's own employees. Another recent incident shows that a Wal-Mart security camera may have captured a missing Ohio toddler with a sex offender.
This is an interesting case because it uses cameras combined with credit card transactions as a tool to investigate and track down perps. Additionally the resolution on the cameras was good enough to get license plate numbers. Way to go Wal-Mart!
Good coverage.
That's a very clear image ( and I assume it's not even the highest quality image as it has been copied on the Internet).
Also, Wal-Mart is well known for their sophistication in selecting and analyzing security products.