Police Use Social Media To ID Suspects In East Austin Robbery [UPDATED]

EAST AUSTIN, TX -- Police on Wednesday said they have identified three suspects connected to a robbery in East Austin who were later seen on a live video chat.

Police got a 911 call on Oct. 23 shortly after midnight from witnesses who said they had seen via FaceTime a robbery go down in the 2300 block of Wickersham Lane, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Police said the victim was on the live chat app at the time when he hears scratching on the door before the three suspects rushed inside his home.

According to police, the victim was pistol-whipped while demanding he open a safe at his home. The suspects took some of his belongings before fleeing in a white Crown Victoria that looked like a police patrol car, officials said.

A witness to the robbery provide still photo images of the suspects to police, the Statesman reported. Three days after the incident, the victim reached out to police and pointed to the suspects based on their Facebook profiles.

As a result, police identified two of the suspects: Michael Aleman Jr., a 10th-grade student at Austin ISD, and Jacob Carter, who was identified by his mother after video of the robbery started circulating on social media, the Statesman reported. Carter’s mother also said her son drives a white Crown Victoria, police said.

Police have issued arrest warrants for both Aleman and Carter, and are working toward identifying the third suspect.

Austin Police Department officers subsequently stage a Thursday press conference providing further details on the case:

Police have not been able to apprehend the three suspects, who are believed to be hiding out. Police ask residents of the neighborhood where the robbery took place to be on the vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman