American Woman Catches Pickpocket in Italy: Why She Said "Thank You, Apple"

American Tourist Catches Pickpocket in Venice
Using Apple's 'Find My' Feature and AirPods Location Tracking
Incident Goes Viral After TikTok Video Shows Mother Apprehending Suspect

An American tourist in Venice, Italy, has drawn attention after directly catching a pickpocket using Apple's 'Find My' feature.

Using Apple's Find My feature to directly catch a pickpocket. Charis McElroy TikTok

According to the New York Post on August 19 (local time), Charis McElroy, an American, uploaded a video to TikTok showing her mother apprehending a pickpocket using the AirPods location tracking feature. The video, filmed on August 14 on a street in Venice, clearly shows her mother holding onto a young girl and waiting for the police. The video went viral immediately after its release and has now reached approximately 2.7 million views.

According to Charis, her family encountered four girls on a narrow bridge during their vacation and soon noticed that the zipper on their bag had been opened. When they checked the bag, they found that their wallet, credit cards, cash, passport, AirPods, and other items were missing. Her mother immediately used Apple's 'Find My' feature to track the location, and together with her husband, chased after the girls and managed to catch one of them.

The girl who was caught resisted fiercely and screamed, and when the police arrived and attempted to arrest her, she swung the bag she was carrying. Charis's mother, struck by the bag, suffered a laceration on her forehead and required hospital treatment. Inside the bag was a tumbler that had been stolen from Charis's mother.

According to the Italian media outlet Il Messaggero, the girl arrested by the police was only 14 years old and was released on bail just two days after her arrest. The victim managed to recover some items, including her passport and credit cards, but was ultimately unable to retrieve the cash and AirPods.

Meanwhile, Apple's 'Find My' app is a service that allows users to track the real-time location of Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. Even if the device is turned off or offline, it displays the last known location on a map and can play a sound if the device is nearby to help users find it easily. In addition, it can be linked with an 'AirTag' to locate lost items such as wallets and bags, and also provides a location-sharing function with family and acquaintances.