Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Etsy
AirTags are fantastic devices for car owners, as planting the pill-shaped gadget in the right place could help recover the vehicle if stolen.
A recent case from Nashville proves how an AirTag can help find the stolen car and arrest the thief hours after driving away in the vehicle.
The Metro Nashville Police Department revealed that 26-year-old suspect Thomas D. Pointer stole a car and shot the owner Sunday morning. The victim was transported to the Skyline Medical Center before noon, with the police obtaining vehicle location information from the owner's phone thanks to an AirTag planted in the cabin.
The car owner previously installed an AirTag in his car just in case it gets stolen, and unfortunately, the "just in case" happened, letting the man put the Apple device to a real-life test. Fortunately, everything worked correctly, so the owner could see the AirTag location information on his iPhone and share it with the police officers who rushed to the location indicated by the gadget.
The car was found on Frankfort Drive in Hermitage, and the police chased the suspect to Oakland Acres Drive. When he stepped out of the car and started walking on Saunders Avenue, the police arrested the suspect. They found a couple of guns and multiple pills.
He now faces multiple charges, with a bond set for $95,000.
Apple's AirTag once again played a key role not only in recovering a stolen car but also in catching a dangerous criminal. The Metro Nashville Police Department revealed that the suspect was previously convicted of robbery and felony evading arrest in 2019. He was also released last year on a $2,500 bond for unlawful gun possession.
Apple's AirTag works by connecting to nearby iPhones to transmit its coordinates to the master device. It doesn't sport built-in Internet access, so it uses a low-power Bluetooth connection to look for iPhones in proximity. Once an Apple smartphone is found, it uses its connection to share its coordinates with the owner. The AirTag can continue to share its location if an iPhone is in proximity, so if the suspect in this case had an Apple phone in their pocket, the AirTag updated its owner with location data regularly.
Apple is already working on a second-generation AirTag with improved battery life and precision. The current model offers approximately six months of battery per unit – it doesn't sport a rechargeable battery but a standard CR2032 unit that owners can replace every six months. The second-generation AirTag could debut later this year, as people close to the matter said the parent company isn't in a rush to unveil the device because the original iteration still sells like hotcakes. Apple did not reveal the launch date of the next AirTag.
The Metro Nashville Police Department revealed that 26-year-old suspect Thomas D. Pointer stole a car and shot the owner Sunday morning. The victim was transported to the Skyline Medical Center before noon, with the police obtaining vehicle location information from the owner's phone thanks to an AirTag planted in the cabin.
The car owner previously installed an AirTag in his car just in case it gets stolen, and unfortunately, the "just in case" happened, letting the man put the Apple device to a real-life test. Fortunately, everything worked correctly, so the owner could see the AirTag location information on his iPhone and share it with the police officers who rushed to the location indicated by the gadget.
The car was found on Frankfort Drive in Hermitage, and the police chased the suspect to Oakland Acres Drive. When he stepped out of the car and started walking on Saunders Avenue, the police arrested the suspect. They found a couple of guns and multiple pills.
He now faces multiple charges, with a bond set for $95,000.
Apple's AirTag once again played a key role not only in recovering a stolen car but also in catching a dangerous criminal. The Metro Nashville Police Department revealed that the suspect was previously convicted of robbery and felony evading arrest in 2019. He was also released last year on a $2,500 bond for unlawful gun possession.
Apple's AirTag works by connecting to nearby iPhones to transmit its coordinates to the master device. It doesn't sport built-in Internet access, so it uses a low-power Bluetooth connection to look for iPhones in proximity. Once an Apple smartphone is found, it uses its connection to share its coordinates with the owner. The AirTag can continue to share its location if an iPhone is in proximity, so if the suspect in this case had an Apple phone in their pocket, the AirTag updated its owner with location data regularly.
Apple is already working on a second-generation AirTag with improved battery life and precision. The current model offers approximately six months of battery per unit – it doesn't sport a rechargeable battery but a standard CR2032 unit that owners can replace every six months. The second-generation AirTag could debut later this year, as people close to the matter said the parent company isn't in a rush to unveil the device because the original iteration still sells like hotcakes. Apple did not reveal the launch date of the next AirTag.
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