Mahanoy City Police are using a unique platform in an attempt to locate an alleged thief -- her own Facebook account.

The police department posted on its own page Friday that they had recovered a cellphone belonging to a suspect in an alleged theft at a Family Dollar store in the borough.

"When you steal but leave your phone behind with your facebook open," the post read.

Police Departments are using their own facebook pages more and more to let the public know about arrests and fugitives who are wanted. But this is the first time, at least locally, where they used an alleged perpetrator's own account in the process.

They included a surveillance photo of the alleged thief, as well as a picture showing the cell phone recovered. The phone has facebook open. A post, which has the profile's name redacted, says the following:

"I like to steal from the Family Dollar Store in Mahanoy City and leave the phone behind for Mahanoy City Police to find, can someone tell (redacted) to call police at 570-773-2313 Sincerley (sic) Mahanoy City Police"

Police did not say what was taken in the alleged theft. Charges haven't yet been filed against the suspect.