Teddy bear, with GPS hidden inside, used to track a thief

ATHENS, Ga. - Police in Georgia say they used a GPS device hidden inside a teddy bear to track down the toy and apprehend a suspect in the theft.

Athens-Clarke County police say Mid-Atlantic Clothing Recycling had been experiencing thefts of clothing from its collection bin at Georgia Square Mall.

The Athens Banner-Herald reports that a company manager concealed the GPS device inside the bear, placed it in a bag of clothing and tossed it into the collection bin.

Around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, the manager called police to report that the teddy bear was on the move. Police said the manager worked with the officer to update the stuffed animal's location, and a 55-year-old man, identified by CBS Atlanta as Melvin Wilder, was stopped and charged with misdemeanor theft.

According to the police report obtained by the station, Wilder confessed to stealing the clothes and said he needed to sell them at a local flea market.