Stolen Ferrari worth 530,000 euros with AirPods recovered
Apple's "Where is?" location network has already helped to track down a number of criminals. A particularly spectacular case has now occurred in Connecticut.
2023 Ferrari and a pair of AirPods (symbolic image).
(Image: Ferrari / Apple)
Time and again, there are media reports about sometimes astonishing cases of crime in which the "Where is?" network for location data sharing built into almost all Apple devices helps to solve the crime. In the US state of Connecticut, north of New York State, Waterbury police officers have now recovered a particularly expensive vehicle –, and only because it contained a pair of AirPods. The September case, reported by local TV station WFSB, involved a Ferrari costing around €530,000 that had been stolen a few weeks earlier in Greenwich, also in Connecticut.
AirPods and Ferrari stolen
The sports car, model year 2023, had been tracked to a petrol station by the police using "Where is?". There, the officers approached the vehicle and demanded information. The driver, Dion S., fled immediately, but was then quickly arrested. The reason: another Apple device. S. had left his iPhone in the Ferrari during the escape. The car thief was finally identified and arrested via this device and is now facing a conviction for vehicle theft.
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In connection with S.'s arrest, a 2023 Acura that had been stolen in New York was also identified. S., who is 22 years old, is also believed to have an accomplice, Keon W. He was also arrested for allegedly taking turns driving the stolen car with S. W. also has outstanding charges allegedly related to car theft "as well as another violent crime," according to the Waterbury police chief. S. and W. are now in custody, with their bail set at $150,000 and $300,000 respectively.
Tracking is active by default
The case shows that "Where is?", which is actually intended to locate lost items, is also helpful in cases of theft. The technology is normally active automatically and is found in iPhones, iPads, Macs and accessories such as AirPods and the Apple Pencil Pro. Apple also installs "Where is?" in its UWB and Bluetooth trackers from the AirTags series. The location network uses Apple devices in the vicinity to pass on location information, of which there are usually many; GPS is not absolutely necessary.
In connection with "Where is?", however, there are always debates about the risk of stalking, which in turn means that the anti-theft function is restricted, with AirTags or other devices reporting a potential thief via a notification or alarm signal. But thieves themselves also use the inexpensive AirTags – in Canada, it has happened that vehicles have been marked for later theft.
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