The Dallas man was watching a live web camera feed that looked onto Mathew Street in Liverpool. The area is famous for its associations with The Beatles. The Cavern Club where the band played some of its first concerts is visible in the distance from the camera, according to the website hosting it.
While watching, the Texan saw some people who appeared to be breaking into a sports shop which is visible from the camera. He called the local police to alert them.
"We did get a call from someone in Dallas who was watching on a webcam that looks into the tourist areas, of which Mathew Street is one because of all the Beatles stuff," a Merseyside Police spokeswoman told news agency Reuters.
"He called directly through to police here," she said. The force responded, sending officers to the scene where three suspects were arrested.
The site on which the camera is hosted says that the camera "looks up the world famous Mathew Street towards the Cavern Club, which is at the far end of the street on the left."
"The Grapes pub can also be seen on the right, where the Beatles used to go for a drink after their gigs (alcohol was not served in the Cavern back then," said the site.
