GPS Tracking App Used To Hunt Down iPhone Stolen In Wilshire Robbery
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Police on Tuesday credited a location tracking application for the recovery of a stolen Apple iPhone during an armed robbery.
Officers responded to a report of an armed robbery on Nov. 17 at 9:30 p.m. in the Wilshire district near Sierra Bonita and Rosewood avenues.
The victim told police a white male had robbed her at gunpoint and fled with her purse that contained her iPhone which had the "Find My Phone" application installed on it.
Police used a local man's computer to track the phone to the intersection of 11th Street and Ardmore Avenue.
A male who matched the victim's description was detained and officers found an iPhone in his pocket. The victim's cell number was called and the phone rang, confirming the phone belonged to the victim.
Police identified the suspect as Jason Topper, 34, a parolee from Chatsworth. An additional suspect, Dominique Taylor, 21, of Los Angeles, was also arrested.
Topper was later charged with robbery and bail was set at $1.1 million. Taylor faces charges of receiving stolen property with bail set at $20,000.
The software could prove to be a huge deterrent for thieves plotting to steal the most popular smart phones on the market.
"The Apple line of products is increasingly targeted during thefts, burglaries and robberies," the LAPD said. "The ability to track and locate the items are critical during the initial minutes and hours after the crime."
