Barnstable Police Use Tracking App to Catch Theft Suspect

• Subscribe to Barnstable/Hyannis Patch news alerts

Barnstable police said they arrested a theft suspect after using a tracking application in a stolen phone.

Allahmanamjad Barbel, a 27-year-old homeless man, was arrested Monday and charged with a host of crimes.

Police said on April 20, a man visiting Hyannis for business said someone stole his laptop and phone from his work truck parked at the FedEx on North Street in Hyannis. Barnstable police Officer Jeffrey Jackson and his K9 Elvis tracked the suspect to the International Inn.

The victim was able to track his stolen phone to the inn and officers found Barbel squatting in a room, police said. Barbel took off through a rear window and escaped capture for several days, police said. He was captured Monday on Main Street in Hyannis and charged with:

• Breaking into a vehicle
• Larceny
• Breaking into a building
• 3 counts of receiving stolen property

Barbel has previous arrests, police said.

All of the victim’s stolen items were returned.