An alert victim paying attention to an Internet site not only found his stolen trumpet but he helped police make the arrest. The arrest of Ryne A. Markiewicz, 20, was a breakthrough for Warrenton police who have seen the number of car break-ins more than double since 2008. Markiewicz was served a warrant Monday stemming from the Oct. 20 incident when he allegedly broke into an unlocked car and stole a few items. He has been charged with felony stealing. He is lodged in the Warren County Jail. Bail has been set at $10,000. Several days after the trumpet was stolen in the 600 block of Third Street, the owner happened to locate the item on Craigslist and alerted authorities to his discovery. A face-to-face meeting was suggested, Warrenton Police Chief Greg Houdyshell said. While meeting with Markiewicz in O'Fallon several days after the theft, the victim saw that the trumpet was indeed his. The O'Fallon Police Department was called and Markiewicz was arrested soon after during a traffic stop. The trumpet was valued at $1,140, according to the probable cause statement. According to the probable cause statement, Markiewicz, who lived in the 600 block of Garnett Court, told police he would walk around town and look for valuable items in unlocked vehicles. His girlfriend allegedly placed the items on Craigslist unaware the items were stolen, she told authorities. "This was another incident of a guy who had an addiction of some sort and he was feeding that by doing something easy," Houdyshell said. In the November criminal investigation report, Warrenton detectives said they have identified six more individuals believed to be stealing items from the Warrenton area and selling them in St. Charles County. Warrenton police were able to recover two stolen handguns and a variety of electronic items. The value of stolen property recovered in October and November was approximately $4,500, according to authorities. Earlier this year, Warrenton police were investigating an alarming number of car break-ins. Through July, officers had investigated 82 incidents where vehicles had been broken into. In 2008, only 63 similar cases were reported, including 31 during the first seven months. Houdyshell attributed the recent success at identifying suspects due to the cooperation of various law enforcement agencies and increased patrols. "We have not seen nearly the numbers we had in the summer," Houdyshell said. "Probably more than anything is our ability to exchange information with other departments. This is not a Warrenton-only problem. (Items) are getting stolen here and moved to another area." Nonetheless, Houdyshell reminds residents the need to take extra precautions to not be an inviting target for criminals. "I would appreciate it a lot if people took that extra second to lock their doors," he said. "That is the difference of keeping your items secure or finding them gone in the morning."