The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Fugitive got nearly 30K Facebook likes, hasn’t turned himself in
TORRINGTON — He may have received nearly 30,000 Facebook “likes,” but Jose Simms who promised to turn himself in 15,000 likes ago is still nowhere to be found, according to local police.
The 29-year-old became a social media sensation within hours of Torrington Lt. Brett Johnson placing Simms’ wanted poster on the police department's Facebook page May 22.
Simms has seven outstanding arrest warrants for failing to appear in court for several different pending cases. He contacted Johnson via Facebook Messenger in mid-May to ask when his wanted poster would go up on the department's Facebook page.
He them told Johnson he'd turn himself in if his wanted poster received 20,000 “likes,” police said. Johnson dickered with Simms to get the requisite number down to 15,000 and then uploaded the poster at around 3 a.m. on May 22.
Within hours, more than 15,000 people had liked the post which ran alongside a wanted poster for Kristopher Waahanen, 36, who has also not been arrested yet.
But Simms did not show up to turn himself in, and as the story gained national, and international, momentum, he shut down his Facebook page. Police have been investigating based on tips from the public sparked by the social media phenomenon and are still receiving information, Lt. Bart Barown said.
“He has not turned himself in and nor has he contacted us,” Barown said Thursday. “We were still receiving tips last week and we're following up on them.”
Based on the tips, Torrington police are reaching out to other departments including Hartford or any other city they have received information on.
As of Thursday, the post, which has been shared more than 5,300 times, had received more than 29,000 likes and more than 1,700 comments.
The department is still being contacted by national media outlets to check on whether Simms has been captured, Barown said.
In the meantime, his department is investigating, he said.
“We hope at some point, he'll come out of hiding,” Barown said.
Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of Jose Simms is asked to call the Torrington Police Department Detective Division at 860-489-2007. People can also message Torrington police on the City of Torrington Police Department Facebook page.