On February 1, 2025, the Irvine Police Department was alerted about a stolen Volkswagen Beetle. The vehicle owner, who had left their Apple AirPods inside, reported the theft. Using the AirPods built-in location-tracking capabilities, the victim was able to monitor the movement of the stolen vehicle in real-time.
The suspects, named as Steve Vorrath, 30, from Georgetown, Texas, and Marcel George Urban, 34, from Corpus Christi, Texas, were unaware that the stolen vehicle was being tracked. The AirPods signal ultimately led the police to the University Park Center shopping plaza, located near Michelson and Culver Drives in Irvine, California, where the stolen vehicle was spotted with the suspects inside.
Prior to the arrest, the police recorded bodycam footage that showed officers approaching the suspects near an outdoor dining area at the shopping plaza. Subsequently, Vorrath and Urban were apprehended, escorted out of the car, and taken into custody.
Following the arrest, both Vorrath and Urban were transported to the Orange County Jail. They will face charges relating to possession of a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to commit a crime, among others, in accordance with the laws of the state of California. The ability to track stolen property, such as in this case involving Apple AirPods, represents an evolving aspect of law enforcements toolkit to apprehend and charge criminal suspects.
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