WASHINGTON -
An hour after a Metro rider lost her smartphone to a thief, a strange picture appeared on her Facebook page.
Two young men were posing for a shot. One of them was making a gesture with his hands. Jackie Williams knew it had come from the Facebook app on her stolen phone.
But why? Were they taunting her?
Williams had just returned home after filing a police report when she turned on her computer, logged on to Facebook and found a photo that made her head spin.
One of the men looked familiar and as she looked closer and closer, she suddenly realized the photo had to have come from her stolen phone.
The phone was taken last Friday night when Williams said a man suddenly grabbed the bag sitting on her lap and took off, running with two others through the Benning Road station.
"I tried to run after him, but he's just too fast, so I got back onto the train," said Williams.
She reported the theft and thought that would be the end of it until she got home and found a photo showing two young men looking into the camera on her phone.
"I couldn't believe it," said Williams. "I was just astounded. I couldn't believe they would be that stupid."
Williams, a former New York City prosecutor, said the description she gave police closely matches the man on the left, but she can't be absolutely certain. It happened so fast.
"For the most part, this guy fits the description," she said. "His face is what I remember his face to be. Though it's slightly blurry, I still remember the basic structure of his face."
From using the Facebook app, Williams knows there are steps you have to take before the photo can be uploaded from the phone. She is not sure if it was a mistake.
"I think that they were either accidentally uploading it up onto my page or they deliberately uploaded it to say ‘Ha ha, I've got your stuff now,'" said Williams.
Williams did get her bag back. It was found in a northeast alley, but she lost an iPod, a bank card and other items.
As for the photo, it is still unclear who the men are or if they were involved in the crime. At the very least, the two, if they can be identified, may be a very good lead for the police.
Although she lost her phone, she said, "I was happy because I felt like this is great evidence. How often does this happen?"
Metro confirmed its detectives are investigating and they are in possession of the photo.
But at this hour, the two men have not been identified. Jackie Williams is hoping our broadcast will do the trick.
