Crime blotter: Two arrested after iPhone theft, tracked across New England

In Apple-related crime, an iPhone lock screen photo leads to an arrest, a man stole phones to finance a vacation, and a tossed iPhone leads to domestic violence charges.

Thieves accused of stealing $50,000 in iPhones are tracked from New Hampshire to Connecticut

A pair of thieves were arrested in Connecticut for stealing $50,000 worth of iPhones from a store in New Hampshire after troopers tracked them across multiple states.

According to WFSB, which cited state police, "based upon real-time updates on physical location and traveling speed, troopers located the suspect vehicle and initiated a traffic stop in the area of I-84 westbound exit 58 in East Hartford."

The two suspects were then arrested.

Facial recognition on iPhone lock screen leads to arrest of alleged post office robbers

US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) personnel in Maine used a unique method to arrest two men accused of a January 2024 post office robbery: They used facial recognition technology for a photo on the lock screen of an iPhone left behind at the robbery.

According to 404 Media, which cited an affidavit, the thieves stole "keys, mail, and a money order printer" from the post office in Paris, Maine. However, bizarrely, both of them managed to leave their own iPhones in the snow outside of a broken window.

One of these iPhones had a lock screen photo of two people, and the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) was able to use software to identify one of them. They did not specify what software they used, or whether the photo featured both suspects.

Nonetheless, both suspects were arrested a week later and charged with that crime, plus a later robbery and assault of a postal worker. They were charged with conspiracy to rob a postal worker, two counts of burglary of a US Post Office, and two counts of robbery of a postal worker.

Tossed iPhone leads to domestic violence arrest

An Indiana woman visited a sheriff's office to pick up her lost iPhone. But after deputies noticed injuries on her face, they went on to arrest her ex-boyfriend on domestic violence charges.

According to WBIW, police received a "crash alert," went to the location, and found the iPhone. They contacted the phone's owner and noticed the injuries when she arrived at the office.

She told them the ex-boyfriend had demanded her iPhone, hit her, and then thrown the phone out of a moving vehicle.

Warrant issued for "porch pirate" accused of iPhone thefts

Also in Indiana, police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a woman accused of stealing $20,000 worth of iPhones after FedEx delivered them.

According to WTHR, the woman was shown getting out of a blue BMW to steal the packages from outside a home.

The same woman is also accused of an incident in which she visited a FedEx shipping center, but that "while a worker was preparing the package, the bottom of the box fell out, dropping 20 cellphones to the ground."

Tracking of stolen iPad leads to arrest of man accused in burglaries

A man accused of burglarizing six different houses on the same street in Utah has been arrested, thanks to Find My iPhone.

According to KSL, the man stole items from several houses, and when one of the victims decided to track their stolen iPad, they found the alleged thief standing next to a car with many of the stolen items.

He's been charged with second-degree felony burglary of a dwelling and theft and third-degree felony burglary, along with three class A misdemeanor counts of vehicle burglary.

iPhone photos lead to man's car theft conviction

A Connecticut man has been convicted of stealing a car from Rhode Island, and among the evidence against him was an iPhone belonging to the owner that was left in the car.

According to WPRI, the iPhone continued to back up photos and videos to iCloud after the theft, including one of the accused thief with a gun in his lap. He was arrested in August of 2023 after crashing the stolen car into other cars.

iPhone belonging to Ugandan content creator is recovered

The Ugandan influencer known as Napi Official had his iPhone 15 Pro Max stolen recently while driving on a highway, but government officials have managed to recover it.

Napi Official. He looks even happier in his Instagram post after getting his iPhone back. (Source: MBU)

According to NBU, Napi took to Instagram to celebrate the recovery of his device.

Man in India accused of stealing iPhone, other devices to fund vacation

A 34-year-old man in India was responsible for a series of "snatching and theft cases" of smartphones, including at least one iPhone. After his arrest, it was determined he committed the crimes to "fund a vacation with his girlfriend."

According to Tribune India, he and the girlfriend are both drug addicts, and the couple had "ambitious plans to use the stolen funds to finance a getaway and a leisurely road trip."

Among items he was accused of stealing were an iPhone 13, multiple Android devices, and a motorcycle.

Car theft in Kansas also included iPad, AirPods

A stolen Nissan Altima in Manhattan, Kansas, contained the owner's iPad and AirPods. According to KMAN, the stolen items also included "military gear and tools worth approximately $3,500."

Per the report, the total loss from the theft was $11,000.