Police win eBay auction, arrest seller, alleged thief

Some crooks might be turning to eBay and Craigslist as a high-tech fence, police say.

At least that’s what Nathan Tyrone Mitchell, 25, of Santa Monica is accused of doing, according to Newport Beach police who arrested him for allegedly auctioning stolen solar panels. One panel picture online revealed its serial number, police said.

Detectives arrested Mitchell on Tuesday in Santa Monica while picking up a panel they won in an auction for $100, Sgt. Mike McDermott said. In Mitchell’s apartment police retrieved eight of nine solar panels reported stolen last week from a water basin off the 73 Toll Road in Newport Beach, McDermott said.

The panels powered equipment that monitors water levels in the reservoir, McDermott said. They are valued at $1,485 each.

“EBay and Craigslist are the new corner fencing operation,” McDermott said, adding that the web retailers are catching on. So are investigators dedicated to trolling the web for stolen goods, McDermott said.

Mitchell is charged with one count of receiving stolen property, McDermott said, adding that further charges might be pursued.

— Kelly Strodl