Stolen Electronic Device Under Investigation by Lopatcong Police After Social Media Post on Local Facebook Group

PHILLIPSBURG, NJ - Featured images from a local Phillipsburg group on Facebook portrayed two women confiscating an electronic device from the UPS store.

Lopatcong Township Chief of Police Jason Garcia confirmed with TAPinto that an electronic device was reported as stolen from the Lopatcong UPS located in the Strykers Crossing Shopping Center at 201 Strykers Rd #19 in Phillipsburg.

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Chief Garcia did not verify whether the stolen item was an iPad but confirmed it was an electronic device. The case is active and currently under investigation.

The original poster on the now-deleted Facebook post confirmed with TAPinto that the electronic device was stolen on October 8, 2024. It was reported to Lopatcong Police on Oct. 9 after reviewing camera footage. The poster further states that the electronic device is only capable of Amazon returns. They asked us not to publish the photos that appeared on social media.

This is an ongoing investigation and more information will be updated as it is released from the Lopatcong Township Police Department.

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The Post was removed, but was it really?

Are local groups the place to report a crime or do they hinder an investigation? Although the post was deleted, there could be thousands of people grabbing a screenshot and sharing it under their own profiles. Are there implications?

According to Meta, “It is important to note that some information we store is collected automatically, while other information is provided by the user. We do not require email or phone verification, and we do not require people to use real names or identities.” So when you wonder if what you read is true or false, there’s your answer. In this case, police confirmed a theft was reported.

It is worth noting that “Admins of Facebook Groups may be legally liable for what is written on sites they manage.” Admins can and have been civilly sued over toxic groups that allow criminal matters, violence, and hate speech. In particular from accounts that were discovered to be not real.  According to Meta, “Admins act as the leaders, representatives, and caretakers of these communities. Admins are expected to represent themselves authentically and to promote the safety and well-being of their communities.”

In Meta’s Terms and Policies, “When admins create content that violates our policies (or when group admins or moderators approve violating content created by others),” as well as profiles found to be fake, Meta’s policy is to take action against the Page, group, or Event in which the content appeared.

There’s that watch-what-you-post statement again.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net