A California woman who repeatedly lost her mail to thieves helped police catch two mail pirates after she mailed herself an Apple AirTag.
According to the New York Post the woman, who has not been identified, grew tired of having her mail repeatedly stolen and mailed herself an Apple AirTag. When that package was stolen, she contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, telling them that she was tracking the device.
Donald Ashton Terry and Virginia Francesca Lara of Santa Maria were arrested. In addition to the victim’s package containing the AirTag, items believed to belong to over a dozen other people were also discovered.
The pair have now been charged with possession of checks with intent to commit credit card theft, identity theft, and fraud.
Lara is being held on $50,000 bail. Terry, who also had outstanding warrants for burglary and multiple thefts in Riverside County, has had his bail set at $460,000.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to commend the victim for her proactive solution,” said the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in a statement, “while highlighting that she also exercised appropriate caution by contacting law enforcement to safely and successfully apprehend the suspects.”
Apple’s AirTags debuted in 2021 and have since helped users track stolen cars, a stolen safe, missing luggage, and several other items. Unfortunately, they have also been used for illegal purposes, such as stalking.
(Image credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)