Facebook photo of stolen ring puts couple in jail

A Facebook photo of a stolen 3 carat diamond ring recently helped police solve a jewelry theft. After rings and other items valued at more than $16,000 were taken from a home on Saturday, a friend of the victim's roommate saw one of the items on the social network.

20-year-old Crystal Yamnitzky captioned the photo with the following message: "Look what Robby gave me I love him so much," in reference to her 21-year-old boyfriend Robert Driscoll. Yamnitzky's cousin saw the post and told some friends, who alerted police. Both Yamnitzky and Driscoll have been charged in the case.

Driscoll's grandmother told MSNBC that he was under pressure to give an engagement ring to Yamnitzky, his longtime girlfriend. She said Yamnitzky regularly told him "I want a ring" but Driscoll did not have the money to buy one, so he ended up stealing one in order to make her happy.

Police said Driscoll stole the items from the victim's bedroom while he, Yamnitzky, and her cousin were visiting the residence. When authorities questioned Yamnitzky and asked the whereabouts of the nearly $12,000 ring from the Facebook photo, she said Driscoll had taken it to be resized. They later learned that Driscoll had sold six of the stolen items at Gold Buyers of Pittsburgh for $250.

The two partners in crime were arraigned Tuesday and were jailed after failing to post bond. Driscoll was charged with theft, criminal trespassing, and receiving stolen property. Yamnitzky was charged with theft and receiving stolen property.

Last week, I wrote about a different Facebook engagement ring. In that story, the social network worked as a lost and found service, with a little bit of luck, and a metal detector.