They got a vehicle identified and a confession leading to an arrest. Did we read the same article?

The confession was online, and they already had the vehicle ID (written down initially and then confirmed on camera). Don't be patronizing please. Hiding out in the car did nothing that they couldn't have done with cameras, without risking violent confrontation and a high speed chase.

You asked "What did they do besides doxing him and confronting him online that helped?"

> The confession was online

The confession was made possible via their "antics", because he knew he'd been caught. Without the experience of being cornered and having to escape, he'd have likely ignored the message as a fishing expedition.

> they already had the vehicle ID

Getting that was part of their "antics", yes.

You are right, I should have phrased the question better. What I meant by antics was the desire to confront him physically.

Identifying people who are committing crimes against your family isn't "doxing". Or: it is, and a good illustration of the uselessness of that term.