Facebook posts led to identification of couple charged with Adams County robbery: police
A couple charged with a robbery in Adams County were identified by police from the woman's social media posts, according to court records.
Billy Baker, 48, of Willow Hill, is currently wanted by police on a felony arrest warrant for allegedly robbing a laundromat in Gettysburg, police said. Cara Strouth, 35, of Fairfield, is currently in police custody at Adams County Prison for charges related to the robbery, police said.
Court records described how police were able to identify both of the suspects through Facebook posts that Strouth made that showed, in separate posts, both subjects wearing the same clothing they wore during the robbery.
Strouth is currently charged with felony counts of conspiracy - burglary, conspiracy - criminal trespass, conspiracy - criminal mischief, a misdemeanor count of conspiracy - theft by unlawful taking, and a summary count of driving with an expired license.
Baker is charged with felony counts of burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and a misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking.
Police are asking that anyone with information on Baker's location contact them at 717-334-8101.
Robbery at Dolly's Laundromat
In an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Gettysburg Police Department, police say they were first called to a burglary at Dolly's Laundromat on North Washington Street in Gettysburg at 6:18 a.m. on Sept. 20.
Police arrived and found that someone had tampered with the location's ATM, change machine and gaming machine.
Upon reviewing camera footage from the laundromat, police saw a tall, skinny white male in a hooded camouflage jacket, black ski mask, black gloves, blue jeans and brown cowboy boots. That subject removed a hammer from a backpack and attempted to pry open an ATM, the affidavit states.
Police then saw a white female with black hair, glasses, a grey unzipped hoodie, a white shirt with a large black Adidas logo and blue jeans. The female appeared to be acting as a lookout, the affidavit states.
The two subjects were also identified by police in footage from a nearby 7-11 that morning getting into a navy-blue Jeep SUV.
The Aspire Hotel
The affidavit says that investigating officers made contact with Cumberland Township police, who were investigating a robbery at the Aspire Hotel on Emmitsburg Road. That robbery, which occurred on Aug. 30, 2023 at 2:44 a.m., involved a theft from an ATM at the hotel.
The officers were able to identify the same tattoos and cowboy boots from surveillance footage at Dolly's Laundromat on the subject involved in the Aspire Hotel robbery, the affidavit states, and that man was sharing a room with a woman who matched the other subject's description.
After some investigation leading from the hotel room, police were able to identify the Facebook profile of Cara Strouth. On Sept. 26, 2023, police say Strouth posted a selfie wearing the exact white Adidas shirt she allegedly wore in the Dolly's Laundromat robbery. In another image, Strouth posted a selfie wearing the clothing she was seen wearing at the Aspire Hotel, police said.
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Police were able to identify Billy Baker from multiple images also posted on Strouth's account, the affidavit states. In one post, police identified the two were romantically involved.
Through various Facebook posts by Strouth, police identified Baker wearing the same camouflage jacket, and in another, Baker was seen wearing the same black facemask as seen in the surveillance footage of the robbery, police say. Multiple posts also identified the same cowboy boots as seen in both robberies, the affidavit states.
This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Facebook posts led to ID of robbery suspects: Gettysburg, Pa. police
