Two Thieves Were Stealing Packages in California. To Catch Them, a Woman Attached an AirTag to Her Mail

This week, a woman in Santa Barbara, California recovered a package that someone had stolen from a county post office mailbox. Local authorities arrested the suspects, and they now face prosecution. But the story wouldn’t have ended this way if the victim hadn’t used a tracker.

According to The Los Angeles Times, it all started a while back when the woman, whose identity isn't revealed, found that her mail kept disappearing, and the police couldn’t find the culprits. Tired of losing her packages, the woman thought it would be a good idea to send something with an active Apple AirTag. That way, she might be able to track down the criminals.

On Monday, local police responded to a theft report at the Los Alamos Post Office. The victim was there and told officers that the package that was stolen contained an Apple tracker. Authorities didn’t hesitate to go to the address where the victim’s AirTag was.

When officers entered the home, they found the package from the woman who filed the complaint, along with other items they believed the pair stole from a dozen other victims. As a result of the raid, police arrested a 27-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man, both with criminal records.

“The Sheriff’s Office would like to commend the victim for her proactive solution while highlighting that she also exercised appropriate caution by contacting law enforcement to safely and successfully apprehend the suspects,” the authorities said in an official statement.

Apple's AirTag, introduced in 2021, is a $29 device ($99 for a four-pack) that lets users keep track of personal items. For example, you can attach it in your backpacks or your keys. It doesn't have GPS but is integrated with Apple’s search network, which ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

Regarding the California case, not all scenarios will allow the police to attempt to recover allegedly stolen property so quickly, even if the owner claims to know where they are. Sometimes, legal requirements make the process take longer. One factor that comes into play is the regulations in each part of the world.

This article was written by Javier Marquez and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.

Images | Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office | Max Fleischmann | USP

Related | AirTag Not Connecting: A List of Common Connection Issues and How to Fix Them