Folsom police arrest Sacramento man on theft charges using GPS-tracked ‘bait’ items

The Folsom Police Department arrested a suspect last week on theft charges after it tracked department-deployed “bait” items by GPS.

After a bait item had been stolen from construction sites in the development south of Highway 50, officers tracked the item Thursday morning traveling westbound on the highway, the police said in a Facebook post. A suspect vehicle was located and officers conducted a traffic stop resulting in the arrest of a 41-year-old Sacramento man on theft and narcotic-related charges.

Over the last several weeks, the department said it received numerous reports of theft and burglary from the area, which led to the implementation of the bait items.

Police said the suspect was listening to police radio transmissions on a cellphone application and ditched the bait item just before officers stopped them on Highway 50. Officers located the bait on the roadside, and several other suspected stolen items were found inside the suspect’s vehicle.

Items found totaled approximately $27,000 in value, and officers later confirmed that the items located were stolen from construction sites and linked to at least two reported burglaries, according to the department.

The suspect was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail and charged with five felonies and four misdemeanors related to theft, burglary, narcotic possession and interception of police communications to assist in criminal offenses.

He is ineligible for bail and was expected to appear in court Monday afternoon.