League City man takes matters into his own hands with a police-backed sting after trailer theft

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- When a League City man realized he was a victim of theft, he set out to solve his own case by setting up a sting.

"I felt like Nancy Drew, I really did," said Gage Cattoni with a nod to the iconic teenage sleuth.

Cattoni's investigation started when he realized on Wednesday someone had stolen his trailer. He says he logged onto Facebook Marketplace and found it listed for $1,400.

Cattoni messaged the seller and called the League City Police Department. The sting was in motion, and he documented it step-by-step in a video that he shared with ABC13.

"League City police is all set up. Two police cars are behind the Home Depot," Cattoni said into the camera. "Waiting for us to arrive right now."

Cattoni met the man in a parking lot. With his phone in his shirt pocket, he recorded the meet-up. He inspected the trailer and then confronted the seller.

"Is this new for you?" Cattoni asked.

"No," the man replied. "I got it three months ago."

"I had one stolen out of my driveway a couple of days ago. Know anything about that?" Cattoni asked.

That's about the time police showed themselves to make an arrest. Cattoni got that on camera, too.

"I think that's a win for the good guys," he told ABC13. "Couldn't have gone any better."

Police identified the suspected thief as Jeremy Roberts, 37. He was taken to jail and charged with theft, police said.

In the end, Cattoni got his trailer back.

"I feel like this was a shared victory for all the people who work hard for the things they have and feel like they can't do anything about it. I just wasn't going to let that be my story."

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