Skip to main content

Apple’s Find My app leads police to arrest suspect after searching for lost iPhone

Apple’s Find My app is one of the key features of devices like iPhone and iPad, as it lets users track them even offline. This time, however, the app helped Colorado police find and arrest a man after a deputy “accidentally” dropped his phone on the suspect’s truck.

As reported by Denver NBC affiliate 9News (via Gizmodo), Deputy Travis Peck was about to arrest Steven Sandoval, who was wanted for evasion after failing to appear in court. However, Sandoval managed to evade police with his truck by driving through a security fence.

While this could result in a difficult chase, Apple’s Find My app ended up making everything easier. Deputy Peck quickly realized that he had lost his iPhone while approaching Sandoval, as he placed the phone on the truck bed rail to grab his handcuffs before the suspect fled.

“A short time later,” it reads, “the deputy realized his cellphone was missing. Considering it is county property, the deputy felt it was important to locate the phone as quickly as possible. He used his personal cellphone to call another deputy to have him find it using the ‘Find My iPhone’ app.”

The police then succeeded in arresting Sandoval after tracking him for about an hour. While the story had a happy ending for the police, it raised concerns related to the protections against illegal search guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. That’s because the police cannot use GPS to track a person, but Deputy Peck assures that the fact that his phone fell into the suspect’s truck was an accident.

Orin Kerr, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said in an email that if the phone was indeed left by accident, the coincidence may shield the deputies from a Fourth Amendment challenge. “If the facts are as stated, I doubt there was a constitutional violation,” Kerr wrote. “First, if we accept as true that the phone was accidentally dropped in the car, the dropping wouldn’t be a Fourth Amendment search because there was no intent to obtain information, which was required by the Jones case.” 

Later this year, Apple will finally allow users to track their iOS devices even when they are turned off. This feature is part of iOS 15, which will be released this fall for all users. However, not all iPhone and iPad models will be compatible with this feature — and you can check out the full list of devices here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

Author

Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
Please wait...processing
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
Please wait...processing