Brick Red Bull Thief Nabbed Due To Social Media, State Police Say

BRICK, NJ -- The ads say Red Bull gives you wings. Apparently, those wings don't come with a cloak of invisibility, as a North Jersey man is finding out.

New Jersey State Police announced that David P. Grimes Jr., 44, of Bridgewater, has been charged in a string of incidents where a man walked into stores in two parts of the state and stole cases of the energy drink, including ones in Brick that occurred in December and January.

In a post on Facebook page, State Police said social media users saw the posts from the Brick Township Police Department and the State Police and raised the possibility that the two were connected.

"When we posted the surveillance stills of this alleged shoplifter, your keen eyes were not fooled despite his well- planned camouflaged attire," State Police said. "Our social media users quickly linked the suspect to Brick Police Department's Facebook page, where they too were seeking assistance with identifying a shoplifting suspect."

The result was a cooperative investigation with Brick police that led to the identification of Grimes, State Police said.

Grimes is accused of shoplifting four cases of Red Bull, worth more than $80, from a ShopRite in Upper Township, Cape May County, on Wednesday, Feb. 10. He also is accused of taking several hundred dollars' worth of Red Bull and Snapple from the Stop & Shop in Brick on Dec. 18 and Jan. 25, according to State Police.

In the Upper Township theft the suspect was wearing a camouflage jacket; in the Brick incidents, he was wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers coat, according to photos from surveillance cameras.

Grimes reported to the State Police Woodbine Station on March 2, where he was arrested and charged with shoplifting in the Upper Township case, as well as being charged by Brick Township Police, the post said.

State Police thanked social media users: "Give yourselves a round of applause! Outstanding work! Thank you for your all of your help!"

They said the motive for the thefts remains under investigation: "We speculated that he may have just been really, really tired. Many of you had quite a few comical theories as well. Sadly, we may never know... ‪#‎WhySoMuchRedBull‬"