Daniel Scott was stunned when he saw the criminal (Image: NBCLA)
Owners of Apple’s AirTags – a coin-sized compact device, equipped with a powerful tracking chip – have discovered a myriad of uses for them. They can be used to locate a lost wallet, placed in the glove compartment of a car, or even attached to a pet’s collar.
Frequent traveler Daniel Scott decided to put one of these £30 gadgets in his suitcase before heading back to Los Angeles after a trip to Salt Lake City in August – and had an unexpected revelation.
Upon landing at LAX, his only desire was to collect his luggage and return home. However, due to an accident with baggage handlers, passengers on Daniel’s flight were initially directed to the wrong carousel.
He informed NBC Los Angeles that he was waiting at baggage claim carousel 25, saying: “About 10 minutes go by, and no one is looking at their bags. Then Delta (Airlines) comes over the PA and says ‘I’m sorry, the luggage is actually coming to baggage claim 23’.”
However, when Daniel and his fellow passengers hurried towards the optional luggage carousel, his bag was nowhere to be seen.
Bangkok, Thailand – February 5, 2022: AirTag is a tracking device developed by Apple. (Image: Wachiwit via Getty Images)
Daniel quickly took out his phone and used the ‘Find My’ app to find out the address of his suitcase. He added: “I noticed it was not in the terminal, but it was moving towards (the taxi rank) and leaving the airport.
“So I immediately started running towards the Uber lot. Once I got to the Uber lot I saw him continue to move forward and get across the street.”
Luckily, Daniel was reasonably fit and managed to keep pace with the tracker thanks to his AirTag as it was driven to an abandoned structure about half a mile from the airport.
Meanwhile, Daniel’s partner contacted the police and informed them about the theft. Daniel remained outside the structure, keeping track of the AirTag’s location until authorities arrived.
The officers directed their torches into the windows of the abandoned building, and demanded the thieves surrender.
This was the moment when Daniel got a surprising shock. He recalled: “We saw some movement in the building and then when people came to the window – they made them stand in the window – I saw the guy wearing my clothes. He was wearing my shoes. He was wearing my shirt and my pants.”
Police caught several people at the scene, and once they verified that the crime scene was secure, officers allowed Daniel into the building to search for his suitcase.
Eventually he found it, but it was unlocked and its belongings scattered on the dirty floor. He said: “It’s a huge building and my clothes are scattered across many different rooms in it.”
He says he has recovered most of his property, but emphasizes that if the same situation happens to anyone else, they should always wait for the police to arrive rather than trying to confront the thieves themselves.
Daniel says the whole ordeal was “crazy”, noting that he was “so happy” to get his stuff back.
