Daniel Scott was stunned when he saw the culprit (Image: NBCLA)
Owners of Apple’s AirTags – compact devices the size of a coin, equipped with a potent tracking chip – have discovered a myriad of uses for them. They can be utilised to locate misplaced wallets, stowed in a car’s glove compartment, or even attached to a pet’s collar.
Frequent traveller Daniel Scott decided to place one of these £30 gadgets in his suitcase before jetting back to Los Angeles following a visit to Salt Lake City back in August – and was met with an unexpected revelation.
Upon disembarking at LAX, his sole desire was to collect his luggage and return home. However, due to a mishap with the baggage handlers, passengers from Daniel’s flight were initially directed to the incorrect carousel.
He informed NBC Los Angeles that he was waiting at baggage claim carousel 25, stating: « About 10 minutes pass by, and no-one’s seeing their bags. Then Delta [Airlines} come on the PA and say ‘I’m sorry, the luggage is actually coming out at baggage claim 23’. »
However, when Daniel and his fellow passengers hurried over to the alternate baggage carousel, his bag was nowhere in sight.
Bangkok, Thailand – Febrauary 5, 2022: AirTag is a tracking device developed by Apple. (Image: Wachiwit via Getty Images)
Daniel swiftly retrieved his phone and consulted the ‘Find My’ app to determine the whereabouts of his suitcase. He continued: « I saw that it was not in the terminal, but it was moving towards the [taxi rank] and leaving the airport.
« So I just immediately started sprinting to the Uber lot. Once I got to the Uber lot I saw that it was continuing to move and it had reached across the street. »
Fortunately, Daniel’s reasonably fit and he succeeded in keeping pace with the moving tracker of his AirTag as it was transported to a derelict structure approximately half a mile from the airport.
Meanwhile, Daniel’s partner had contacted the police and informed them about the theft. Daniel remained outside the structure, tracking the AirTag’s location until the officers arrived.
The officers directed their torches into the derelict building’s windows, and demanded the thieves surrender themselves.
It was at that moment Daniel received an astonishing shock. He recalled: « We saw some movement in the building and then when the guys came to the window – they lined them up in the window – I saw the guy with my clothes on. He had my shoes on. He had my shirt on and my pants on. »
Police apprehended several individuals at the scene, and once they had verified that the crime scene was secure, officers permitted Daniel into the building to search for his suitcase.
He ultimately located it, but it had been ripped open and his belongings had been strewn across the grimy floor. He explained: « This is a pretty big building and my clothes are scattered through it in multiple different rooms. »
He states he recovered most of his possessions, but emphasises that if the identical situation were to occur to anyone else, they should always await police arrival rather than attempting to confront the thieves themselves.
The whole ordeal was « insane, » Daniel says, noting that he was « super-happy » to retrieve his belongings.
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