This is part of an ongoing series answering common questions from burglary victims. Mukilteo police detective John Ernst agreed to lend his experience working cases for a quick FAQ. For more information on this series, check out the introduction and table of contents.

Sirens: Should I have any hopes of getting my stuff back? Is there value in me personally checking Craigslist and pawn shops? I’ve heard that’s worked for others.

Detective John Ernst: If you have documented and photographed your property and engraved your valuables that don’t have serial numbers, there is a chance you could be reunited with some of your property. Checking Craigslist only works if the items you had stolen are very unique or identifiable (by serial number or an owner applied number), but there have been successful recoveries off of Craigslist. I also have had victims find their stolen property on eBay and in pawn shops. Sometimes it can take years for stolen property to find the light of day, and sometimes it’s pawned within hours. I’m working on a series of cases with the FBI that date as far back as 2007. In that case, some victims have been reunited with some of their stolen property.

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