Police: N.J. Burglary Victim Uses Facebook Conversations To Find Suspects; Arrests Made

PARK RIDGE, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police have arrested a pair of siblings who allegedly broke into a home after using Facebook to make sure it was empty.

Nicole Mineo showed CBS 2's Dave Carlin the broken basement door from the March 12 burglary of her family's Park Ridge home.

"They took both of our Apple computers. And from my room they took my entire jewelry box," she said.

Police credit Mineo for uncovering the clues that led investigators right to brother and sister suspects Michael and Kimberly Edgerton.

"Without that information this case may not have been solved," said Sgt. James Babcock of the Park Ridge Police Department.

Mineo recalled a strange conversation with Kimberly on Facebook on the day of the burglary, in which she was asked about her family's whereabouts.

"It was just too fishy, all the questions she was asking me," she said. "Maybe I did feed her too much information about where my family was, but then again I'm not too hard on myself because I thought they were close friends."

Acting on that tip, police went to the home Kimberly and Michael share with their mother and found an earring that Nicole identified as hers.

The brother and sister were arrested soon after.

Neighbors said Michael recently completely substance abuse treatment. He's still in jail, but his sister was out on bond.

She's described as a charming stay-at-home mom with two young kids.

With the stolen items in evidence, the victims lost not only property but lifelong friendships.

"It's just weird to think people you let into your life for years would do something like this," Mineo said. "Desperate people do desperate things. I'll forgive them because I was raised to forgive people."

Mineo told Carlin she planned to reassess every friend on Facebook as she wonders if she really knows them.

The Edgertons are charged with burglary and receiving stolen property. Police said they hope this case will result in people being more careful with their personal information online.

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