Theft victim uses drone, social media to track stolen camper to chop shop

TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Like a relentless detective, Steve Souba got crime results finding his stolen camper.

He said he's been doing his own investigating as far back as November, when he first contacted Titusville police.

According to the police report, someone broke the lock on Souba's $30,000 trailer, which was posted for sale, and towed it away from a parking lot on Cheney Highway.

"They came and jacked it in the middle of the night," Souba said.

The thieves appeared to be long gone until this month, when a Ford F-250 pickup truck was stolen from the same spot on Cheney Highway. The pickup was later discovered at a scrapyard in Christmas.

"It clicked. I was like, 'My camper's here somewhere.' So, I built a Facebook page called 'Local Thieves,'" Souba said.

Tips started coming in, leading Souba to a property on Bartholemew Street.

He said he saw part of the camper from the road, so his friend flew a drone to get a closer look.

"He put the drone up in the air to make sure the camper was there. It was there," Souba said.

The camper was found, along with four motorcycles and another trailer Orange County sheriff's deputies said were stolen, with altered vehicle identification numbers and appearances.

Orange County sheriff's deputies arrested Sam Krupnik, 34. He is accused of running a chop shop.

Souba said he'll keep using social media to get crime results, adding  he wants everyone to know who the accused thieves are.

Krupnik has since posted bail. Two other people were also arrested when the pickup truck was found.