By By Stephanie Nelson
special to the standard
Photos posted on MySpace have led to the identification and arrest of the couple believed to be responsible for bank robberies in Florala, East Brewton and Flomaton.
Florala Chief Sonny Bedsole said the two – identified as 30-year-old Jerry Hover Tinsley of Rutherfordton, N. C., and 30-year-old Rhianna Marie Jones believed to be of Ft. Walton, Fla. – were located inside a Destin, Fla., Motel 6 late Thursday night.
Bedsole said Covington County Sheriff’s Office investigator Greg Jackson received the tip from a confidential informant and was able to confirm the couple’s identity using photos posted on the popular social networking site, MySpace.
That information was immediately forwarded to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office’s Fugitive Warrants Unit, who had units in the hotel parking lot “within five minutes,” Jackson said. “Our informant was able to tell us who (the alleged bank robbers) were and where they were staying,” Jackson said. “It was the key component we had been needing to solve this case, and all thanks to the outstanding working relationship between all the agencies.”