This article has been updated to include new details provided by court documents.
BLOOMINGTON — A social media tip led to the arrest of two people wanted for allegedly stealing multiple high-value items, including a John Deere tractor, from the maintenance building of the IU Pfau Golf Course.
Caelan Hamilton and Caleb Thurman are both charged with burglary and theft greater than $50,000, both Level 5 felonies, and theft, a Level 6 felony.
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Hamilton was also arrested for an outstanding warrant, according to an IUPD news release.
According to online court records, two other people—Brent Fisher and Rachel Elizabeth Rogers—are also charged with similar charges related to the stolen property.
Both have active warrants for the charges as of publication.
IU Police said on Feb. 10, am employee at the golf course reported that several items, including the tractor, had been stolen from the maintenance building sometime between the time of the report and Feb. 8.
According to court documents, there was evidence of forced entry in the rear side of the building.
Among the stolen items were a John Deere Gator, several landscaping saws, power tools and batters, a welder, other landscaping equipment and the John Deere tractor.
The estimated value of the stolen items was roughly $95,000 according to court documents.
The next day, on Feb. 11, a jogger called police to report a John Deere Gator was in the woods near the golf course and had several power tools in the cargo bed, court documents state.
It matched the stolen gator, IUPD confirmed. Police then used a drone to conduct an aerial search of the area.
According to court documents, there were tracks west of the where the Gator was found, which detectives believed indicated the tractor was drove off the property.
Using video surveillance and license plate readers, police found video dated 9:30 a.m. Feb. 8, which showed a Ford Expedition towing a trailer through the golf course parking lot, court documents state.
An IUPD detective said the SUV was registered to Thurman's father.
On Feb. 13, IUPD posted a picture of the missing tractor to their social media pages, asking the public for tips to help in the investigation.
After just 20 minutes, court documents state a Facebook user submitted a tip about seeing the tractor on a property.
Detectives went to the location and reportedly found Brent Fisher operating the tractor on the property, which according to court documents, matched the serial number of the stolen IU property.
Fisher was handcuffed and detained for questioning.
According to court documents, Fisher was using the tractor to cut firewood but did not want to share who gave him access to the tractor and told detectives he was not involved in stealing it.
Fisher admitted he knew the tractor was hotwired and was likely stolen, court documents state.
The owners of the property where the tractor was located gave police permission to search the area.
According to court documents, police later learned three people brought the tractor to the property—Hamilton, Thurman and Rodgers.
On Feb. 14, when police went to where Caleb Thurman lives, they reportedly found Hamilton inside and talked with him for a short time before Hamilton closed the door, court documents state.
Detectives then went to speak with Thurman's father at his work, who told investigators he allows his son Caleb to use his truck and trailer and Hamilton was staying at the house with them.
According to court documents, police later executed a search warrant on the home and recovered several of the missing items.
In an interview, Caleb Thurman told investigators Hamilton called him around 1 a.m. Feb. 10 and asked for a ride and help transporting a tractor. Thurman claimed he was "simply helping a friend."
According to court documents, Thurman said he was not sure why Hamilton had the tractor on a remote road in the middle of the night, but that Hamilton drove the stolen tractor onto the trailer and the two took it back to his house.
In his interview, detectives allege Hamilton had a different story.
Court documents state Hamilton said he, Thurman and Rachel Rodgers went to the IU Pfau Golf Course that evening and while there, Thurman pried open the back door to the maintenance garage with a crow bar and hammer.
When they were leaving, Hamilton claimed Rodgers was driving stolen Gator and Thurman was on the stolen tractor.
According to court documents, Hamilton said the following morning, Thurman and Rodgers left to go get the stolen tractor. "Simply helping his friends," Hamilton told investigators he volunteered to bring them fuel and rode with Thurman and Rodgers to move the tractor back to the Thurman property.
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Both Hamilton and Thurman have several pending and closed criminal cases, according to online court records.
Hamilton has several active cases for theft. He also has pleaded guilty in other cases for theft, resisting law enforcement and criminal trespass.
Thurman has active cases for resisting law enforcement, false identity statement and driving while suspended.
IU Police thanked the person for submitting the tip and said officers recovered $93,525.93 worth of stolen property.
