Friday, November 1, 2013

Louisiana: Smartphone Robbers Nabbed Thanks To GPS

Yes, we are bringing you yet another story regarding catching the thief of a smartphone with the GPS device built in to the phone itself. You would think these criminals would learn a thing or two (or maybe they should keep up with the latest GPS news here at RMT!)


policecarsThis time, the Jefferson Parish Sherrif’s Office in Louisiana were alerted of the theft of an HTC Evo on August 22nd in Harvey, LA. The phone belonged to an employee of the parish’s Community Action Program, and was taken during his lunch break, according to Kriss Fortunato, parish spokeswoman.


The robber pulled a semi-automatic pistol on the victim at about 1:30 in the afternoon, and stole the phone along with additional items. Authorities knew exactly what to do, using an app that used the GPS device built in to the phone to find its location, locating it in Terrytown.


They determined it was a business, so they sent Detective Michael Cummings to investigate. After wandering around and talking to various customers, Cummings saw a phone matching the description of the stolen device, and did the best thing he could think to do to prove beyond a doubt this was the phone he was looking for: he called the stolen phone.


The phone, of course, began ringing in the thief’s pocket, who was later identified as Darrel Washington. The 22-year old criminal denied the allegations, but provided police with conflicting stories about how he ended up possessing the device. He was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property.


But the story doesn’t end there! While reviewing the contents of the phone, they discovered videos recorded after the theft occurred, featuring Washington and two other men. Of course, that means a second suspect was also involved, holding the phone to record the video.


Cummings was able to identify Joshua London as the cameraman, and he was also arrested for possession of stolen property. The armed robbery charges have not been filed yet, as investigators need to determine who was in possession of the weapon.


Maybe one of these days, criminals will learn to avoid any technology, such as smartphones and tablets, that contain built-in GPS devices.



Louisiana: Smartphone Robbers Nabbed Thanks To GPS

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