A pair of AirPods became a key to recovering a stolen Ferrari in the US city of Waterbury, Connecticut. The police recovered the luxury car valued at $575,000 (around Rs 4.81 crore). The vehicle was reported missing from Greenwich on September 16.
The owner left his AirPods inside the Ferrari, allowing the Waterbury Auto Theft Task Force to track the device to a gas station on South Main Street. The officers from the Waterbury Police Department identified and attempted to stop the stolen vehicle. The driver, however, fled the scene, according to a statement from the department.
Using the AirPods' location, authorities identified the driver as 22-year-old Dion Schontten, who was arrested after police located a 2023 Acura reported stolen from New York. Apart from Schontten, another suspect Keon Webster, 19, was also taken into custody.
The investigation revealed that the two had alternated driving the stolen car, according to police reports.
Schontten faced a second charge for motor vehicle theft, while Webster was charged with a seventh offence of the same crime. Schontten was held on a $300,000 bond, and Webster was held on a $1,000,000 bond by the Waterbury Police Department following their arrests.
Upon court arraignment, Schontten's bond was reduced to $150,000, and Webster's bond was reduced to $300,000.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo commented on Webster's extensive criminal record, telling Channel 3 Eyewitness News, “Keon Webster is somebody we are very, very familiar with. As an adult, he has seven pending charges that are related to auto theft and other violent crimes.”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the pair's potential involvement in other vehicle thefts. "WPD continues to actively investigate motor vehicle thefts and hold individuals accountable for their actions. The arrest of Schontten and Webster, both with extensive criminal histories, demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that repeat offenders are held accountable so they do not continue to victimize our community," the department said.
Residents of the area have expressed relief after the arrests. One such resident, Robert Stanziano, shared his concerns, saying, “I drive something I don't think anybody wants to steal, hopefully. But I worry for other people.”
Spagnolo also reminded the public, “We just don't live in that day and age anymore where we can leave our cars running to warm up or our cars running while we run into the store. Take care of your property. Just be mindful that if you don't, somebody else will.”
