Florida authorities arrested an airline subcontractor for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from luggage thanks to an Apple AirTag.
Giovanni De Luca, 19, is facing two counts of grand theft after authorities recovered the stolen items from his home, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said in a news release last week.
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport's Security Unit "became aware of suspicious activity" after multiple reports of stolen luggage.
In July, a traveler who is unnamed reported missing luggage with items that were worth about $1,600.
The traveler said an Apple Airtag, a tracking device that triggers alerts on iPhones, iPads and Apple computers, was placed in her luggage and showed her suitcase was last active in an area of the Florida city of Mary Esther.
Another traveler on Aug. 9 reported that more than $15,000 worth of jewelry and other items had been taken from his luggage.
Okaloosa County sheriff's deputies investigating were able to cross-reference employees of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport who lived near a street pinpointed by the Apple Airtag in Mary Esther and found De Luca at his home. He was arrested on Aug. 10.
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Authorities were able to recover the items reported missing on Aug. 9 and De Luca admitted to rummaging through the first victim's suitcase and removing an Apple AirTag, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The woman's luggage has not been recovered.
