It's the high-tech equivalent of getting your hand stuck in the cookie jar.

Henrico County police say they were able to identify and arrest a suspect in a string of thefts of stolen public school computers using tracking programs installed on the machines.

They even managed to get a photograph of the alleged thief using a stolen Apple MacBook computer.

How? "Our technology department equips all computers with tracking devices," said Mychael Dickerson, Henrico schools spokesman.

Eleven laptop and six desktop computers were stolen from Crestview Elementary School in western Henrico County during a series of break-ins beginning last fall.

Before the most recent incident took place Feb. 13, school officials were ready.

According to an affidavit accompanying a search warrant, Henrico schools' technology and information-services department was able to learn that the stolen laptop computers were being used minutes after the break-in.

Many computers have programs allowing technical support personnel to remotely control and troubleshoot the machines.

In this case, school officials were able to discern an Internet provider address from the stolen computers, which allowed them to pinpoint the user name, matching that of a Henrico County student, according to the affidavit.

Police said they were able to confirm the identity thanks to the computer's integrated iSight camera, which snapped a photo of the user. The image was identified by a school resource officer as Brandon Scott Arias, 18, a student at J.R. Tucker High School, according to the affidavit.

"This is a great testimony to the school resource officer program," said Henrico police spokeswoman Sgt. Linda Toney.

Police issued a search warrant that resulted in seizure of several computers and accessories. They arrested Arias, of the 7900 block of Three Chopt Road, on Feb. 20 on charges of grand larceny. A juvenile also was arrested.

Henrico school officials don't want to give away all their secrets but admit they have the ability to safeguard their property.

A trial is tentatively scheduled for June 10.
Contact Lisa Crutchfield at (804) 649-6362 or lcrutchfield@timesdispatch.com.