Apple’s Find My iPhone app was the hero of the hour for at least 100 smartphone users attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival over the weekend. A thief who stole more than 100 smartphones form concertgoers was caught, thanks to Apple’s iPhone locater app, which tracked the thief’s movements around the concert site as he pick-pocketed iPhones and other smartphones.
“A bunch people activated their ‘find my phone’ and pointed at, ‘Hey, it’s that guy, my phone, my dot, it’s moving with that guy,’” said Indio police Sgt. Dan Marshall …
36-year-old New Yorker Reinaldo De Jesus Henao, he was “quickly detained by security until law enforcement officers could arrive” […] Henao was then arrested on the festival grounds.
It was discovered that Henao had around 130 smartphones in his backpack. Imagine trying to explain that one to the cops.
The perp has bene charged with grand theft and receiving stolen property. Police were able to return around 20 or so of the handsets (which SFGate says were primarily iPhones) to their owners, and the rest were turned over to the music festival’s Lost & Found officials.
