On the morning of July 24, Lt. Daniel Rodriguez with Jersey Village police said they received a call from someone saying the tailgate had been stolen off of their truck overnight.
At about the same time, police received a call from another resident less than a mile from the first victim's home, saying their tailgate had also been stolen.
"(The initial victim) went into Facebook Marketplace and just thought he'd take a shot of maybe finding his tailgate being posted on there and saw what he believed to be the same tailgate," Rodriguez explained.
The account was listed under the name "Darren Cassidy," which police later determined to be a fake name. According to a search warrant filed in the case, the account had 38 tailgates listed for sale.
The victim's tailgate was listed for $350.
Police told the initial victim to set up a meeting with the seller while working out the details of a sting operation.
Rodriguez said officers met with the seller and determined, using the key, that it was the victim's tailgate.
The two sellers present for the sale were Samuel Worthy, a 17-year-old high school senior out on probation for stealing tailgates earlier this year, and his 22-year-old brother Josiah Worthy.
Both were taken into custody. According to court records, the two live together with their mother.
In the photo posted to Facebook and used in the search warrant, a silhouette resembling Samuel Worthy's is seen in the reflection of the black paint of the initial victim's property.
"In the background, you could see the house, the siding, the brick, the color," Rodriguez explained.
He said they went to the Worthy brothers' home, which matched what they saw in the reflection. Through their broken fence, they could see several tailgates in the backyard.
They served a search warrant on the home and collected more than 20 that were believed to be stolen.
"The tailgates we got, there were mainly Fords, Toyotas, and Dodge Ram tailgates in a variety of colors, silver, black, and white," Rodriguez said.
Samuel Worthy has been released on a $20,000 bond. Josiah Worthy remains behind bars on a $15,000 bond.
The Jersey Village Police Department has been able to return some of the tailgates to their owners, but they still have 19 left that they would like to return. They are still determining where the tailgates were stolen or how long ago.
Anyone who believes Jersey Villiage PD might have their tailgate is asked to call (713) 466-2123. Police said to claim your tailgate, you'll need a copy of the police report indicating the tailgate was stolen and the key to unlock it.
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