Crime & Safety

GPS-Powered Teddy Bear Helps Cops Nab Thief

The man is suspected in a series of donation-bin thefts.

A clothing recycling company used a high-tech teddy bear to help Athens-Clarke County Police nab a man allegedly responsible for a string of thefts from a donation bin at Madison Square Mall.

Mid-Atlantic Clothing Recycling inserted a GPS device in the teddy bear and stuffed it in a bag of clothes, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. The manager tracked the bear on the move Tuesday morning and notified police.

Melvin Junior Wilder was found with the bag. He admitted to stealing from the bin when he was shown the GPS tracker. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft.

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