Police tracked suspect by Facebook pics

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MANCHESTER, England, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Police in Britain said they were able to keep track of a jewel thief, and eventually arrest him, thanks to pictures he posted on Facebook.

Investigators in Manchester, England, said Charles Rodriguez, 31, a suspected member of the Latin Kings gang, and another man allegedly beat a jeweler who was returning from a sales trip in October 2011 and stole more than $100,000 of diamonds and pearls from the trunk of his car, ABC News reported Tuesday.

Police soon learned Rodriguez had used a false passport to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and posted pictures of his vacation on Facebook. The suspect's Facebook page then indicated he had traveled to Colombia, which does not have an extradition treaty with Britain.

Investigators said they learned Rodriguez was back in Britain in late 2012 when he posted pictures online of himself Christmas shopping and sightseeing in London.

London police pulled Rodriguez over for driving suspiciously and his identity was confirmed.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to robbery this week and has been sentenced to five years, four months in prison.