Boothbay Harbor Police Dept., Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office

Social media key to arrest

Sat, 04/18/2015 - 07:53 am

SUE MELLO, Staff Reporter

Drew Bibber, who was convicted for theft in the 2010 Enchantments burglary and fled prior to sentencing in 2012, was apprehended by Arcata Police on April 17. Boothbay Harbor Police Department and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office officers were able to locate Bibber through social media. Courtesy Arcata Police Department Facebook page.

Drew Bibber, 23, convicted of Class B theft in connection with the August 2010 burglary of Enchantments in Boothbay Harbor, was apprehended in Arcata, California on April 17, after three years as a fugitive.

Bibber was convicted for theft of over $60,000 in jewelry and other merchandise after a four day trial in November 2011. Two other accomplices were also convicted in the case. Bibber was scheduled to be sentenced on March 29, 2012, but failed to appear.

Since that time, local law enforcement has continued to search for Bibber and to track downs leads from across the U.S.

That continued police effort finally paid off last week. Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch reported that he and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jared Mitkus had been able to locate Bibber through social media, which resulted in Bibber’s arrest in California on April 17.

Hasch said that an interview with an acquaintance of Bibber’s led local police to a possible woman companion. Hasch said they were able to discern Bibber’s face in a partially obscured photograph on the woman’s Facebook page. From Facebook posts and Instagram images, Hasch and Mitkus were able to locate the woman, identify her vehicle, and determine Bibber’s intended destination for April 17. They notified Arcata California Police, who arrested Bibber after an extensive foot chase.

According to the Arcata Police Facebook page, “Without shoes, the suspect led officers on an approximate nine block foot pursuit, during which time officers traversed through the Arcata Marsh, across streets with heavy traffic, through a creek and several residential backyards. Towards the end of the pursuit, the suspect managed to find an unaccompanied bicycle and fled on that as well. Officers were able to box in Bibber, who then jumped off the bike and allegedly fled on foot into another residential backyard where he was taken into custody at gunpoint.”

Mitkus said he was grateful to the Boulder County Colorado Sheriff’s Department for providing essential information, to the Arcata Police Department for Bibber’s capture, and to Lincoln County Communications Center for their work.

Bibber will be returned to Maine to face charges.