Apple AirTag helps family track down their stolen suitcase and nab the thief

Apple AirTag helps family track down their stolen suitcase and nab the thief،

Apple's AirTag object tracker has come to the rescue again. By News from the Queen City, the Gavino family was visiting the North Carolina mountains from Miami, Florida because they dreamed of celebrating Christmas in the Carolinas. Last Friday, after landing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the family realized one of their bags never made it onto the carousel. But it was hoped that the luggage could be found.

The night before, Catherine Gavino had purchased AirTag item trackers and after following the advice of several online influencers, she tossed an AirTag into every bag without thinking that she would really need to track a missing suitcase. “It was to help find luggage if it was lost, but I never thought it could be stolen,” she said.

The Find My app showed the bag stolen on Interstate 85, heading west toward Gastonia

After realizing a bag wasn't showing up, Catherine launched the Find My app on her iPhone and saw the missing piece of luggage was on the move. The bag was traveling on Interstate 85 and heading west toward Gastonia. After quickly renting a vehicle, the Gavino family began tracking the AirTag around a neighborhood. But the search had to be stopped after the AirTag no longer displayed any information.

Catherine Gavino shows how she found the stolen suitcase containing an Apple AirTag

The luggage contained clothes that Catherine's mother and father had purchased especially for the trip. Once the family couldn't locate the luggage, they had to buy it back.

On Christmas Day, the Gavino family decided to make one last attempt to recover the suitcase. After dropping two family members off at the airport, Catherine opened the Find My app again and was able to track the AirTag to a home on McGuire Street in Gastonia. “I told my dad who was with me, 'Look, it's only 20 minutes, let's move on.'” After walking past the house, she called the police.

The police entered the house and recovered the Gavino family's luggage as well as the suitcase belonging to another person whose luggage had also been stolen at the airport. Catherine said police told her “someone else called with the same problem. And they had an AirTag.” The cops had come to the same area earlier in the day to collect this other bag, but for some reason it rang at the wrong house.

Although the bag was recovered, the contents of the suitcase could not be found

While the Gavino family recovered the stolen suitcase, the contents of the luggage were nowhere to be found and police believe the clothes were sold. Catherine said: “The police think they may have sold the clothes for money, who knows. These are my parents, who come to the mountains to see North Carolina, so for this to happen made me sad, which was all the more reason to go. after them… I wouldn't have found them without this AirTag.

A suspect was arrested by police and charged with several thefts and a drug charge. He is being held on $10,000 bail. Catherine Gavino explained why she kept finding the suitcase and spent so much time getting it back. “I wanted justice,” she said.

Apple continues to sell individual AirTag trackers for $29 and a set of four can be purchased for $99. That's a savings of $17 or 15% if you purchase the bundle of four. And in the Apple Online Store, you will find several key rings and other accessories offered for your Apple AirTag. Besides, you can have your AirTag engraved for free when you purchase it from the Apple Online Store.