Apple Crime Log: AirTag Stalls, eBay iPhone Scams, and a Crash Alert Arrest
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It’s time to once again take a deep dive into the Apple Crime Log, where we cover a variety of crimes related to Apple and its products. In this edition, a couple is upset because they say police are “slow-walking” a baggage theft, an iPhone crash alert leads to a drunken driving arrest, and more.
Couple Say Police ‘Slow-Walking’ AirTag Theft Probe
While we’ve reported several cases where stolen property was recovered using Apple’s AirTags, this time around, we’re looking at a baggage theft that remains unsolved despite being tracked by an AirTag.
According to CBS Texas, a Dallas area couple had their luggage stolen from the parking lot at Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The duo, referred to only as Karuna and Richie, found that their car wouldn’t start after returning from a trip, so they put their luggage in the car and returned to the airport to call for a tow. Unfortunately, when the AAA tow truck arrived, the couple discovered their luggage had been stolen in the short time they were gone!
Luckily (or so you’d think), the couple had AirTags in the luggage, and were able to track the bags to an apartment complex in the area. The couple visited the complex and were able to view security footage that showed a male wearing Richie’s Houston Rockets shirt and carrying the luggage through the complex.
However, even with most of the pieces of the mystery firmly in place, Dallas Police were reluctant to investigate, claiming it was a matter for the DFW Airport Police.
“A tracker does not guarantee the recovery of your property,” said Doug Deaton, a former police officer turned private investigator.
In fact, evidence gathered by private citizens using their AirTag could actually complicate an investigation instead of strengthening it. “Imagine someone brings you fingerprints they lifted themselves and asks you to make an arrest,” Deaton said. “Police cannot rely on evidence collected that way.”
Once the CBS News I-Team began asking questions, DFW Airport cops finally visited the apartment complex where the man in the Rockets shirt had been tracked.
Karuna reports that detectives texted her to say they have been to the location, “…canvassed the area and identified five apartments within the vicinity of where the subject was last seen walking.”
The detective says that while they had made contact with apartment staff, no one recognized “…the subject or vehicle.”
The case remains open.
Man Loses iPhone to eBay Scam
A Pennsylvania man agreed to sell his iPhone 15 on eBay, only to be scammed.
NorthCentralPA reports the 36-year-old Forksville resident sold his iPhone via eBay in what was initially a legitimate transaction. However, the buyer later requested a refund, agreeing to return the iPhone. The refund was issued, but the phone wasn’t returned to the victim.
The man’s Apple iPhone 15 Pro 128 GB model was valued at $570. The report isn’t clear how the refund was issued or what guarantees were made regarding the iPhone’s return, but Pennsylvania State Police are currently investigating the alleged theft.
IPhone Crash Alert Leads to Arrest
Fingerlakes1 reports a 22-year-old Virginia man was arrested on December 6 after his car slammed into a culvert. An iPhone crash detection alert to 911 led to man being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Deputies say Isaias Presas-Reyes, 22, of North Chesterfield, Virginia, was arrested around 3:54 a.m. on December 6 after his car slammed into a culvert on West Lake Road near Buck Point Road.
When officers arrived on the scene, Presas-Reyes was being treated by EMS for minor injuries. While he refused hospital transport, he agreed to field sobriety tests, which deputies say he failed. He was then taken into custody and taken to the Cayuga County Public Safety Building, where a chemical breath test displayed a blood alcohol content of 0.17%, which is more than twice the legal limit.
Presas-Reyes has been charged with a first offense of driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher, changing lanes unsafely, and operating a vehicle without a license, resulting in several traffic tickets and a scheduled court appearance.
