Greenwich Police (Connecticut, USA) just recovered a stolen Ferrari 812 GTS thanks to the unexpected ‘collaboration’ of the Owner’s AirPods headphones, forgotten in the supercar. In addition, the authorities have been able to arrest the two alleged Ferrari thieves thanks to the smartphone of one of them.
Apple devices have not only allowed the recovery of a luxurious and powerful supercar worth more than half a million euros, but could have contributed to stopping a gang of young car thieves who enjoyed driving their loot. Both had a record of several robberies and other luxury cars in their possession.
How helmets worth less than 200 euros have helped recover a car worth more than 500,000
On September 16, the Waterbury Police Department (Connecticut, USA) received notice about a brand new stolen 2023 Ferrari 812 GTS. The owner had forgotten his AirPods of Apple in the vehicle, and authorities played that card in their favor by using the headphones’ “Find My” security feature to track the vehicle.
And these small helmets equip a geolocation system, which allowed security forces to track the Ferrari 812 GTS to a gas station 100 km away from the scene of the robbery, catching the thief in fraganti when he was going to refuel.
When approached by the police, the alleged thief tried to flee, but ended up crashing the Ferrari into the patrol car and decided to flee on foot, leaving his cell phone along the way.
According to the WFSB news networkthe 22-year-old man who was driving the Ferrari at the time of the events was identified thanks to his smartphone as Dion Schontten, “an old acquaintance of the authorities from similar cases.” Additionally, information and photos from the phone led to the identification of another 19-year-old, Keon Webster, as an accomplice.
This case is reminiscent of other recent incidents, such as the robbery suffered by Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel in 2022, during the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. On that occasion, although Vettel himself was able to track down the location of his stolen helmets, he was not so lucky with his backpack.
Ten days later, both were arrested, being accused of the theft of the Ferrari and other high-end cars, such as an Acura TLX that they drove in shifts or an Audi S8.
“The arrest of Schontten and Webster, both with extensive criminal histories, demonstrates our commitment to ensuring repeat offenders are held accountable so they do not continue to victimize our community,” Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said at the time.
However, despite their records, both have had their bail reduced, as Schontten is being held on $150,000 bail (initially doubled), while Webster was initially asked for $1 million and is now being held on $150,000 bail. $300,000. That is to say, about 273,400 euros at the exchange rate. If it weren’t for helmets that cost around 150 or 200 euros, perhaps they would still be looking for them.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
