Facebook

Fugitive Who Sought 15,000 Facebook Likes Surrenders to Enfield Police

Torrington police said the man called the Enfield Police Department, asking them to pick him up because he was a wanted person.

A man who told Torrington police he would turn himself in if his wanted poster on Facebook got enough likes has turned himself in to police weeks later.

Police said they had seven warrants for 30-year-old Jose Simms, who was sought as a fugitive after failing to appear in court on charges that range from breach of peace to risk of injury to a child.

A man wanted by Torrington police told them he would turn himself in if his wanted poster gets 15,000 likes on the department’s Facebook page.

Torrington police Lt. Brett Johnson posted on the department's Facebook page that Simms had contacted him through the social media site and agreed to turn himself in if the post containing his poster received 15,000 likes.

The page far surpassed that number, but there was no sign of Simms for weeks until Wednesday when Enfield police took Simms into custody.

Torrington police said Simms called the Enfield Police Department, asking them to pick him up because he was a wanted person.

Enfield Police Department placed Simms into custody and he was processed and held on bond.

Police said the wanted poster on Facebook for Simms received 29,000 likes and over 1,700 comments.

Police followed several leads and tips that came in with information about his possible location and other law enforcement agencies assisted in checking addresses in both Connecticut and New York, police said.

Simms, whose last known address is in Enfield, was charged with four counts of failure to appear in the first degree and three counts of failure to appear in the second degree.

He was held on $30,500 bond and will appear in Torrington Superior Court today.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us