The eBay detective
From Brian Todd
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With one click of the mouse, Karen Todd might have created a whole new class of cyber-sleuth.
Last month, a burglar broke into her home in Bowie, Maryland, in broad daylight.
"There was a patio stone sitting over here on the floor -- broken glass all over the floor," Todd says.
The thief made off with a laptop computer and an iPod she bought for her husband.
"I had ordered it for my husband for Christmas. And when you order it direct from Apple, you can have it inscribed. And, so I had a song lyric inscribed on the back," says Todd.
For a couple of weeks, she tried to think like the burglar, surfing the Internet-auction site eBay for her items.
One day, a picture of an iPod popped up. On the back was that same inscription -- lyrics of country song.
"I was just shocked. It's like, 'It's mine! It's mine!' I couldn't believe it was there," Todd says.
It had been there for about six days and, the auction was about to close.
She called the Prince George's County police.
In a couple of hours, they recovered her laptop and iPod from a sports memorabilia store in Beltsville, Maryland.
The next day, authorities arrested 21-year-old Ibrahima Toure, who police now link to more than a dozen burglaries in three Maryland counties and who, they say, may have accomplices.
"I'd say she ... helped crack it wide open," says Prince George's County Police detective Ray Gignac.
Toure allegedly stole more than $18,000 dollars in property. He's being held on multiple charges.
The owner of the memorabilia store tells CNN he didn't know the items were stolen. He says, "I buy anything of value."
But detectives say the owner may also face charges because of one savvy working mother.
"I'm glad we got the stuff back. As soon as the door gets put in, our -- we'll be back to normal," Todd says.
Todd also tells us she'd like to see eBay require sellers to post serial numbers for all items.
The online auction house says it's impossible to do that because not everything has a serial number and possession is never taken.
An eBay official says the company cooperates very closely with law enforcement when it's believed stolen items are posted. And they say anyone who believes their stolen item has been placed on eBay should do exactly what Todd did -- call the police first.
