The Manteca Police Department wants to reunite residents with tools that they have recovered that more than likely were stolen.

On Tuesday, the agency announced on social media that they had busted a trio of people early in the morning breaking into vehicles throughout the city – recovering an abundance of stolen property that the group had in its possession.

While officers were able to reunite some of the stolen items with their rightful owners, they are now searching for the owners of what remains – a handful of tools including construction-grade corded and pneumatic tools.

Anybody that recognizes the tools that were included in the post can contact the Manteca Police Department at 209.456.8101. In order to claim them, residents must have proof of ownership – receipts, a police report about the stolen items, or the serial numbers of the items themselves.

While the agency is working hard to reunite the items with the people they belong to, the situations brings about some important issues that authorities hope people will keep in mind when they purchase items of value that may at some point become stolen.

Receipts for high-value items can prove to be the difference between getting it back and seeing it disappear forever. A running document with the serial numbers of the items is also recommended so that in the event of a theft, police know exactly what they’re looking for and how to identify it if they were to come across it.

While having receipts and serial numbers often allows the police to track down and return stolen items, they are also commonly required by insurance companies to replace valuable items if they are in fact stolen.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.