Apple's "Find My" Helps Police Catch Thieves and Ends Up in Deadly Chase

Peter G., Tech Times 04 March 2020, 03:03 am

A home invasion went wrong. 29-year-old Vaatoa Chang and 36-year-old Jonas Montealegre made off with two vehicles and an iPad, Montealegre had the iPad with him and Apple's "Find My" device tracking was enabled.

What Happened?

The incident was reported last month, February 4, but only now was the full details released to the public. The owners of the iPad tracked down the wannabe thieves to a local hotel, and that's when the authorities showed up. Chang and Montealegre switched vehicles from the hotel, which led to a two-hour long chase through the streets of Melbourne, Australia.

The police were able to find them, and the thieves were not able to evade because of Apple's "Find Me" pings, which the duo was not aware of. After spike mines deflated the car's tires, offices from the helicopters told the boots on the ground that the pair was attempting to carjack two more vehicles right on the road.

Hence another pursuit was made, thankfully; however, it did not last long. The Toyota Kluger that the duo stole from the hotel they stayed in sped off and careened into a semi-truck at the speed of 62 mph. This quickly ended the lives of the two thieves while the semi to tip over another car that was present. Thankfully, the drives of the truck and other vehicles involved only suffered minor injuries, as the police stated.

Find My and Other GPS Apps More Useful Than you Think

This is just one of the stories where "Find My," and other GPS trackers helped the authorities to chase and capture criminals. This story, however, ends with a grim ending for the thieves although justice was served, it was not of the authorities doing. Police authorities are finding that it is indeed useful that those GPS devices on our smartphone are indeed turned on because it helps them locate the suspects faster.

What is Find My and its Benefits?

"Find My" is Apple's answer to Google's "Find My Device" or it's equivalent. First things first, you have to set up the feature on your phone before any of the functions can be able to help you out. It helps locate and protect your Apple devices if ever they are lost or worst-case scenario, stolen. That is not the only use for the plot, though; it can also help locate your device or your family members and friends' devices on the map. You can also use Lost Mode to lock and track your device in the event if it was stolen or just when you think it is. You can even remotely erase all of your personal information from the device for added security as not to compromise you or your files.