Shoreline Police: The Apple, in this case, did not fall far from the thief

Passenger seat littered with stolen mail

Sunday, October 24, 2021 around 7:15am, King County Sheriff's Office deputies in Shoreline responded to the vicinity of the North City Safeway (NE 175th St / 15th Ave NE). 

The owner of a stolen 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan tracked his SUV to this location thanks to the Apple AirPods he had left inside.

The fleeing thief crashed into a fence

The Volkswagen's thief fled as deputies arrived. Only blocks away the SUV crashed into this cedar fence. 

The thief pocketed the Apple AirPods, naturally, and fled again, this time on foot. The pocketed pods gave deputies a new digital trail to track him. Unfortunately, that trail went cold and this thief remains outstanding.

As these photos show, stolen cars are seldom used for a simple joyride. The passenger seat appears littered with the contents of stolen mail. Eluding police and destroying a fence only adds to the criminal charges this suspect may face.

Technology continues to give the Sheriff's Office an upper hand in property and other crimes. On-Star and other satellite-based systems can oftentimes pinpoint a crashed or stolen vehicle. This incident shows that an Apple, the digital kind, can sometimes help us reunite you with your SUV.

--King County Sheriff's Office