In a surprising incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, an Apple Watch played a pivotal role in helping a determined passenger track down her stolen luggage when Spirit Airlines couldn’t.
You expect this sort of thing from AirTag, a dedicated tracker. But this time, an Apple Watch and the Find My network came to the rescue.
Apple Watch tracks stolen luggage, leading to airline payout
Student Paolo Garcia’s pink hard-shell suitcase, containing valuable items like a MacBook, two Apple watches, an iPad, jewelry and designer clothes, never showed up at the baggage carousel after she was forced to check it on a flight home, Local 10 News in Fort Lauderdale reported. Spirit Airlines assured Garcia that her luggage would be sent to her house. But the next morning, her Apple Watch sent a signal from a nearby location that was definitely neither her house nor the airport.
Garcia said she needed to retrieve her computer for an upcoming test. So she followed the signal from her Apple Watch to the nearby house. There she found suitcases scattered everywhere. Acting quickly, she started recording video evidence and called 911.
The police warned her about the potential dangers of visiting the premises alone, of course. And, through an internal airport database, they identified Junior Bazile, a 29-year-old employee of a retail store operating within the airport, as the prime suspect. Security cameras allegedly caught him rummaging through Garcia’s suitcase and removing her belongings, including the MacBook and other items. Police said Bazile disposed of the loot by the time authorities confronted him. But they arrested him, and now Bazile faces a grand theft felony charge.
Spirit Airlines ended up issuing a reimbursement check as a “courtesy,” claiming no evidence of their employees’ involvement. But the incident highlights the crucial role Apple Watch played in empowering Garcia to locate her stolen belongings when the airline failed to do so.
Garcia suspects a larger theft ring operating within the airport. “Personally, I don’t think it’s one person working in the airport, I think it’s a group,” she said. “One person can’t just do that, take bags.” The Broward Sheriff’s Office and the airport continue to investigate the matter.
