A man in San Antonio, Texas is being accused of using his Apple AirTag to track down a thief who stole his vehicle before killing him, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The incident reportedly took place on Wednesday at a shopping center’s parking lot on the southeast side of the city, shortly after the man, whose identity has not yet been publicly revealed, had reported the vehicle as missing from his home. The thief is said to have traveled 20 miles with the truck, completely unaware that there was an AirTag stuck to the vehicle, which allowed the owner to track down where the thief was headed.
According to KHOU, law enforcement officials arrived at the scene and found the suspect who had suffered gunshot wounds in the fatal shooting after the owner of the truck caught up with the thief and subsequently ended his life. It remains unclear at this point whether authorities plan on charging the owner at this given time as the matter is still being investigated, but they did recover multiple bullet casings and said that two cars had their windows shot out during the confrontation.
Police officer Nick Soliz warned in a statement that though the Apple AirTag allowed the man to find his truck, people are strongly discouraged from going after the criminal and taking matters into their own hands if they find themselves in a similar situation. “If you are to get your vehicle stolen, please do not take matters into your own hands like this,” he shared. “It’s never safe as you can see by this incident.” Meanwhile, Apple previously said that when personal possessions are stolen with an AirTag attached to them, the company cooperates with police to assist them in the crime.
“Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag,” a spokesperson for the firm previously told Fox News Digital.
“It’s why the Find My network is built with privacy in mind, uses end-to-end encryption, and why we innovated with the first-ever proactive system to alert you of unwanted tracking. We hope this starts an industry trend for others to also provide these sorts of proactive warnings in their products.
The Apple AirTag is a small, circular-shaped device that is designed to help you locate and keep track of your belongings. You can attach it to your keys, backpack, wallet, or any other valuable item that you want to keep track of. It uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with your Apple devices and pinpoint the location of your lost item.
One of the most significant advantages of the AirTag is that it promotes personal safety. If someone is following you, you can slip an AirTag into their pocket or bag without them noticing. Once you mark the AirTag as lost, you will be able to see their location on the Find My app. This feature can help track stalkers, thieves, and even killers. If you feel like someone is after you, the AirTag can be your lifesaver.
While the AirTag is an incredible device, it has raised some privacy concerns. Some people fear that the AirTag can be used to track them without their knowledge. However, Apple has taken measures to ensure that the AirTag is not used for malicious purposes. If an AirTag is traveling with someone who is not its owner for an extended period, it will play a sound to alert them of its presence. Moreover, the Find My app will notify you if an unknown AirTag is traveling with you.