A Texas man shot an alleged suspect who stole his truck, managing to track down the vehicle using an Apple AirTag.
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) confirmed that the shooting incident occurred on March 29. Officers initially received a report about a stolen Chevrolet Silverado at around 1 p.m. from a home in north San Antonio. But instead of alerting the police, the owner of the pickup truck took matters into his own hands.
The truck owner allegedly used an Apple AirTag inside it to track down his vehicle and the thief that stole it, finding both at a shopping center's parking lot about 20 miles away. Joined by two family members, he confronted the man inside the truck. The owner then shot and killed the alleged thief, identified as 44-year-old Andrew John Herrera.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner Office said Herrera died from a gunshot wound to the head, ruling it a homicide. According to the SAPD, Herrera was unaware that the Chevrolet Silverado he was driving was being tracked. Officials are determining if the suspect, who remains unnamed, will be charged.
Meanwhile, the truck owner alleged that Herrera was armed during the confrontation – forcing him to shoot and kill the 44-year-old. However, investigators are yet to determine if the truck owner's claim is true. Several bullet casings were found at the scene, and another vehicle also had its windows shot out.
SAPD spokesman Nick Soliz advised victims of car thefts not to pursue suspects on their own. He said: "If you are to get your vehicle stolen, please do not take matters into your own hands like this. It's never safe, as you can see by this incident."
Predators can use AirTags to stalk their preys
First launched by Apple in April 2021, AirTags were developed to help users keep track of personal items such as keys, wallets and bags. The Find My app will determine where these items are in the case of loss, provided that an AirTag is attached to them. AirTags work by pinging off iPhones near them and sending a signal to the owner's phone to show where they are.
In one similar case, 22-year-old Zoe Pettit from the U.K. had her Ford Fiesta stolen in February of this year. At the suggestion of her friends, she tucked an AirTag in the lining of her vehicle's trunk – which proved handy the moment her vehicle got stolen. Upon checking her phone, Pettit found that it was already seven miles away from where she was.
Law enforcement was then notified, with an officer driving to where the vehicle was. However, the officer lost track of the car, almost prompting Pettit to give up the search. Even her parents advised her to drop the chase and accept the fact that her vehicle cannot be recovered.
But she and her friends persisted, eventually finding the car – albeit with different license plates. Police were then notified that the vehicle was located, and Pettit was allowed to drive her vehicle as cop cars escorted her along the way.
While Pettit's use of the AirTags resulted in a positive outcome, some have been using the devices to follow potential victims without their knowledge. In one clear example from last year, a young mother in Texas recounted finding an AirTag taped inside her duffel bag. She discovered the device while traveling from the Lone Star State to Maine.
"It took almost 14 hours to let me know this was happening," she said of the stalking, whose perpetrator was never identified. "I think they definitely would have hurt me. I don't think you do that for no reason." (Related: 2 Women sue Apple after their exes use AirTags to STALK them.)
Visit Watched.news for more stories about people being tracked using AirTags.
Watch this news clip about the Texas mother who was being stalked through an AirTag taped to her bag.
This video is from the TKWK T.V channel on Brighteon.com.
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