Fugitive brags on a police Facebook page that she’s ‘not in jail.’ Now, not so much

When police in Moses Lake, Wash., posted on Facebook to ask for help finding Kayla Irizzary, 19, she may have been the last person they expected to hear from.

Officers had searched a car in which Irizzary had been a passenger following the driver’s arrest May 4 and found a pistol, heroin and paperwork from her last stint in jail in her purse, police wrote. They requested the public’s help in finding Irizzary, who had been released after the vehicle had initially been stopped by police.

Irizzary herself commented several times on the post, including once to say, “Here’s a hint of where I’m at: Not in jail.”

Moses Lake police decided to remedy the situation, writing on Facebook that bragging about your escape “is the number one killer of criminal karma.”

Using “covert investigative techniques” — they did not elaborate — officers on social media set up a meeting with Irizzary for 2:30 a.m. Saturday, police wrote. After showing up, Irizzary tried to run away but was arrested on the original charges of suspicion of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of heroin.

“What social media giveth, social media taketh away,” police wrote. Officers also added the hashtags #FacebookBuzzKill, #Karma and #StayThereForAwhile to the post.

On the original Facebook post seeking Irizzary, police explained they had to release her at the time of the May 4 traffic stop because they had no probable cause to detain her.

The firearm and drugs in her purse were only found after a search warrant for the impounded vehicle and its contents had been obtained, police wrote.

This story was originally published May 21, 2018 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Fugitive brags on a police Facebook page that she’s ‘not in jail.’ Now, not so much."