CHESTER — City police made quick work of a vehicle theft case Friday aided by proactive social media users.

Justin A. Davis, 37, of Irondale was taken into custody within 12 hours by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department after he allegedly stole a car in downtown Chester.

City Police and Hancock County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched shortly after 6:15 a.m. Friday to Chaney’s, where an unidentified female victim had left her 2006 Buick sedan running while shopping in the convenience store portion of the business.

A man who had been wandering the area on foot, got into her vehicle and drove off, crossing the Jennings-Randolph Bridge into Ohio, according to a Chester police press release issued Saturday morning.

The woman later exited the store, found her vehicle missing and called dispatch.

After notifying Columbiana County of the theft, since the vehicle appeared to be traveling that way, Chester police obtained surveillance photos from various locations and shared them on social media, which resulted in officers learning of Davis’ identity and obtaining an arrest warrant for grand larceny.

The stolen vehicle was recovered in Salineville, virtually undamaged and stuck in deep snow, after another social media had posted home security footage of a man resembling Davis down to a facial tattoo wandering through his yard. After returning to Irondale, Davis was taken into custody.

Davis is being held while awaiting extradition to West Virginia.

“(We want) to thank the members of the community who shared the information and helped to identify (as well as) locate Davis, so he could be picked up without incident,” said Chester Police Chief Chuck Stanley.