Carjacking victim uses ‘Find my iPhone’ to get back stolen vehicle

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Find My iPhone
This has turned out to be one heck of a handy iPhone feature for many.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

There’s no shortage of people getting stolen iPhones back, courtesy of Apple’s “Find my iPhone” feature. However, a person from Nashville, Tennessee recently improved on this — by using the geotag-locating feature to also get back his stolen car.

According to News Channel 5 Nashville, Chase Richardson was driving home in his Honda sedan just after 8pm. Approaching an intersection, a man walked over and started banging on his driver’s side window, wielding a gun. “He’s just saying, ‘Get out of the car! Get on the ground! Get out of the car!,'” Chase remembered.

He did as the man said, but decided at the last minute to also “hand over” his work iPhone by putting it on the center console. He also handed over his wallet and personal phone. Fortunately, Chase had the “Find my iPhone” feature switched on.

He was therefore able to head to a local Walgreens and call 911. Using the iPhone-tracking feature, cops were able to track the stolen Honda in real time, both in police cars and using a helicopter. “Eventually he got out of the car and took off on foot and that’s when they were able to get him,” Chase said.

Less than an hour later, the suspect — a convicted felon named Phillip Pickett — was arrested. He has been charged with aggravated robbery, unlawful gun possession by a convicted felon, and felony evading arrest.

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