Carjacker Steals Volkswagen, Ignores the iPhone on the Front Seat, Learns Important Lesson

A woman called 911 after the Volkswagen Taos was stolen at gunpoint from a UF Health parking lot. The victim told the officers dispatched to the location that she had her wallet and iPhone in the car, with the smartphone running a feature showing its location in real time.

The Find My device feature on an iPhone helps Apple users find their lost smartphones, with the phone broadcasting its location if it’s still turned on and is connected to the Internet. The carjacker ignored the iPhone, leaving it on the front seat without even thinking it could be used as a tracking device.

One officer spotted the suspect on McDuff Avenue and managed to hold him until more units arrived, then took the man into custody. All stolen goods, including the wallet and the iPhone, were found in the car and returned to the owner.

Apple’s devices have become must-have tracking devices, with the Find My network integrating not only iPhones but also AirTags and AirPods.

The AirTag is already a popular car tracking device, as its form factor allows it to be installed in small spots where it can hardly be discovered. For example, installing an AirTag in the cabin helps the car owner view its location if it gets stolen, often without the thief knowing they’re being tracked.

AirTags don’t integrate an Internet connection but use nearby iPhones to broadcast their location to the owner’s smartphone. It accesses the same Find My network to display its coordinates and comes with a removable CR2032 battery to offer up to six months of autonomy per unit.

While turning off an iPhone could make it harder for the owner to determine its location, especially if it runs out of battery (though it may remain discoverable in certain conditions), the AirTag continues to broadcast its location until the battery gets depleted. The AirTag doesn’t integrate a power-off button, so the only way to turn it off is to remove or destroy the battery. However, considering its small form factor and how easy it is to place it virtually anywhere in the car without the thief noticing it, the AirTag could become a valuable anti-theft device.

Carjacker Edward Colton now faces a felony charge of carjacking with a firearm. There’s a good chance he now knows how iPhones work, albeit depending on the sentence, he might not have an opportunity to interact with an Apple smartphone too soon. The man could spend years in prison if found guilty.