- Police in Connecticut were able to recover a $575,000 Ferrari thanks to AirPods left in the vehicle.
- The suspect fled as authorities moved in, but he left his iPhone behind and police used it to identify him.
- The man was located less than two weeks later after being arrested in connection to a stolen Acura TLX.
The Waterbury Police Department recently announced the recovery of a 2023 Ferrari 812 GTS that was stolen from nearby Greenwich, but they glossed over the most interesting aspect of the case. According to reports, the fate of the $575,000 supercar was largely decided by a pair of $129 Apple AirPods.
While the department didn’t mention it, WFSB said the owner of the car had their AirPods inside the Ferrari when it was stolen on September 16. They quickly got in touch with authorities, who apparently used Apple’s Find My to locate the stolen earbuds as well as the exotic coupe they were located in.
More: New York City Mayor Aims To Fight Hyundai And Kia Thefts With Apple AirTags
This enabled Waterbury’s Auto Theft Task Force to locate the car at a gas station and initiate a stop. The department said the driver of the car fled, but was eventually identified as 22-year-old Dion Schontten. The station reported authorities were able to connect him to the crime because he left his iPhone behind, which is an ironic twist.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Schontten and he was facing a charge of Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. While he initially got away, Schontten was located less than 10 days later as Waterbury Police arrested two suspects in connection to a 2023 Acura TLX stolen out of New York. Schontten was one of the suspects and he was rewarded with a second count of Larceny of a Motor Vehicle.
Schontten was arrested alongside 19-year-old Keon Webster, who was charged with Larceny of a Motor Vehicle Seventh Offense. Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said: “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.”