Accused Robber Tracked Down by GPS on Stolen iPhone

By Erin Sherbert Fri., Sep. 30 2011 at 2:05 PM

Takes the work out of police work

One of the many great things about smartphones is that they can be helpful in catching dumb criminals. Police say they used GPS technology to track down a teenage boy who was busted with a stolen phone he allegedly took from a woman late last night.

At about 11 p.m., the victim was walking home from work on the 1600 block of Post Street when she was shocked by a stun gun. She fell to the ground, and the robber quickly took her belongings, including her iPhone, according to police.

Police arrived at the scene where the woman informed them that she had a GPS tracking device on her phone. Police used their own GPS software and tracked the woman's phone all the way to the hands of the suspect, who had the phone with him, according to SFPD.

The suspect, a juvenile, was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.

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Tags:

GPS, SFPD, smartphone, stun gun

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Marathon Telecom

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vehicle tracking

I really love the way you discuss this kind of topic

Roazorica

I'm not sure about this story. It sounds like BS. The cops used their own GPS device to locate her iphone?? The kid gets charged with theft not assault?? This sounds like BS to me. Sorry.

CaptainAmerica

I'm just curious ... was he black?

randyfleming

Statistically speaking / police blotter in S.F. wise , what do you think ?

Truthspew

Didn't help a former co-worker of mine. He had left his iPhone in the bathroom and when he returned it was GONE. Now the company I work for, lets just say we don't have weak security. So it was someone INSIDE the office that took it.

They were smart enough to turn the phone off.

Chris Taylor Jr

this is where iphones lose and androids win. how about "cooking" a gps tracker into a rom SO even if the person is smart enough to turn the phone off and "hard reset" the phone manually when it boots up first time it would say "hey here I am" anyway :-) sweet justice that would be.

in fact I am going to prowl google tonight and see if someone already has a way for me to do exactly that.

FigDoo

Gotta just love those smart phones man, Thats amazing dude.

web-privacy.es.tc

tablet computer

iphone save the day tada

shakedownstreet

iphone save the day tada

randyfleming

However , he wasn't charged with assault with a potentially deadly weapon? Just possession of stolen property , because he's a juvenile?..Oh yeah , this is San Francisco , a tolerant town... I keep forgetting... How about , instead , his 'single parent' household being permanently banned from public housing due to 'negligent upbringing' / parenting?

Chris Taylor Jr

well unless she saw him they likely can not prove he is the one who mugged her. he would likely "claim" he got it from someone else.

SO they did the right thing they charged him with what they KNEW they could convict him of. now if more evidence comes up likely more charges will come up SUCH as finding he has a stun gun would be a nice way to add assault to the charges.

Flemingrandolph

Thank goodness for people like you to take up his cause and come to his defense as he's still just a 'budding' gangsta' and needs time to 'cure' and realize his full 'thug' potential here in the city ; especially in the absence of people like Kamala Harris ; although we do still have folks like D. Campos , etc. , to take up the banner.

Fleming=Slow

He is innocent until proven guilty. You, sir, are a moron.

Sinisterminkey

Wow.. does it even say this kid is from a single parent household? No. But hey, whatever helps the close minded "decent" folks sleep at night..

Flemingrandolph

Do the 'statistical math' , liberal person and 'if' he does have both parents at home , which again , statistically , is highly unlikely , that's even 'more' condemning!

Accused Robber Tracked Down by GPS on Stolen iPhone

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