Texas man uses a $30 Apple AirTag to track down the thief who stole his Chevy truck
A Texas man allegedly shot and killed a suspected thief after he used an Apple AirTag device to track his stolen truck nearly 20 miles away.
San Antonio police said the truck’s owner called 911 after discovering his Chevy Silverado was missing from his north side residence, but took matters into his own hands.
The owner, whose name was not released, along with two family members, tracked the truck using the device to the shopping center parking lot where they approached a man inside the truck who allegedly sparked a confrontation, police said.
Andrew John Herrera, 44, died of a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner. KSAT informed. His death is being ruled a homicide. Authorities are determining if the suspect who fired the weapon will be charged.
The incident comes as Apple has faced criticism over its use of AirTag, which is most often used to track things like luggage and wallets, but has also been used for harm, such as harassing former partners and public figures.
Andrew John Herrera, 44, died of a gunshot wound to the head, after the owner tracked down the truck he allegedly stole nearly 20 miles away on Wednesday in San Antonio, Texas.
The owner, along with two family members, tracked the truck using the device to a shopping center parking lot where they approached a man inside the truck.
The incident comes as Apple has faced criticism and lawsuits over its use of the AirTag, most often used to track things like luggage and wallets, to use to do harm, such as stalking.
Officer Nick Soliz told reporters at a news conference that the man confronted Herrera inside the van and claimed he saw a gun before firing his own weapon at the van.
Soliz encouraged people to wait for the police and not take the reins.
“If your vehicle is going to be stolen, don’t take matters into your own hands like this,” Soliz said. ‘It is never safe as can be seen from this incident.
When police arrived on the scene in the 3200 block of Southwest Military Drive, they found bullet casings and two cars with broken windows.
Investigators have not confirmed whether they found a weapon in Herrera’s possession. It is legal to carry a weapon in the state of Texas and it is legal for Texans to use deadly force to defend themselves against apparent and imminent danger.
When the police arrived at the scene, they found bullet casings and two cars with broken windows. Authorities are determining if the suspect will be charged.
Two vehicles, including the stolen truck, had their windows shot out, police said.
The trace led the truck owner to a shopping center in the 3200 block of Southwest Military Drive, nearly 20 miles from his residence.
AirTags launched in April 2021 as a new means to help users keep track of personal items like keys, wallets, and bags by attaching an AirTag to them and locating them if lost through the Find My app.
AirTags and other cell phone-linked tracking devices like Tile Trackers sell for between $30 and $50.
The tags work by pinging iPhones near them and sending a signal to the owner’s phone to show where they are.
Tracking devices have been used to help people find countless lost items, including a UK woman who recently used one to track her stolen car.
Zoë Pettit and her friends managed to track down her Ford Fiesta after it was stolen in February.
Like Reid, they found the car using the AirTag app and called the police to help them recover it from the thief.
AirTags launched in April 2021 as a new means to help users keep track of personal items like keys, wallets, and bags by attaching an AirTag to them and locating them if lost through the Find My app.
And in January, a California woman was able to find her beloved dog that had been swept away in a flood thanks to the AirTag she attached to its collar.
But the small metal discs have also been found to be used by stalkers who discreetly place them on people they want to track.
Last year, a young mother in Texas said she found an AirTag taped to the inside of her duffel bag while traveling from Texas to Maine.
‘I think they definitely would have hurt me. I don’t think you do that for no reason,” he told Inside Edition. “It took me almost 14 hours for me to know that this was happening,” she said.