Hazlet Police Make Arrest Using Help from Facebook

Hazlet Township Police have nabbed a suspect in connection to a pair of thefts using a fairly non-traditional source — Facebook.

Raymond Semmens, of Union Beach, was arrested on two theft charges, one on Friday and one on Saturday at a Hazlet ShopRite, located at 3150 Route 35, according to the Hazlet Township Police Department.

The ShopRite filed complaints of theft and provided the police with security footage of the suspect. Hazlet Police then sought the public’s help in finding the man by posting a screen shot of the surveillance footage showing the suspect on its Facebook page.

Hazlet Police provided the screen shot and a description of the man in the Facebook post. Police described the suspect as, “wearing red pants, blue coat, and a camo Yankee cap. He was seen leaving the area on a bicycle.” The post urged residents to please contact the Hazlet Police — either via Facebook or the phone — if they recognized the man in question.

The initial post seeking the public’s aid was made at 12:55 p.m. on Monday and by shortly after 7 p.m., police had their man.

Police announced the arrest on Facebook, as well.

“Thanks to everyone that responded to our post today about the theft from ShopRite,” the Facebook post read. “As a result of the post, Raymond Semmens of Union Beach was arrested tonight by Officer John Fitzsimmons based on the complaints signed by ShopRite Security. He has been released pending court.”