Apple Store robber agrees to compensate guards

The Apple Store in Brent Cross in London – Image Credit: Apple

A teenager accused of January’s London Apple Store theft has pleaded guilty, an influencer home invasion, and a trip to China in this week’s Apple Crime Blotter.

The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.

Teenaged Apple Store robber agrees to pay security guards

A 14-year-old who admitted his part in a January Apple Store robbery in London has agreed to pay compensation to a pair of security guards who were present at the time.

According to The Daily Mail, the teenager pled guilty to robbery but was not considered a ringleader of the incident. In total, five teens entered the Brent Cross Apple Store and stole 50 iPhones. He was given a nine-month referral order and told to pay 100 pounds in compensation to each of the security guards.

Top Los Angeles cop accused of AirTag stalking keeps his right to be an officer

A former assistant chief in the Los Angeles Police Department, who was suspended in January after being accused of stalking a former romantic partner with an AirTag, has won a victory.

The Los Angeles Times reports Alfred “Al” Labrada had his peace officer certification restored, following an investigation by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). This means he remains eligible to work as a police officer in the state of California.

Labrada did not face criminal charges when the accusation was first raised in 2023, but he was found guilty on seven counts by a civilian disciplinary panel and retired from the department. He later sued, alleging anti-Latino bias.

Influencer who was robbed traced stolen MacBook to hospital

The Twitch personality Kaitlyn Siragusa, known as Amouranth, was the victim of a home invasion in early March, at her residence in Houston.

According to Yahoo, the robbers were after her millions of dollars in crypto assets, but the only item they successfully stole was her MacBook. That was tracked to a hospital – the same one where she was at the time.

Four arrests have been made.

California man accused of stealing truck and iPad, FaceTiming owner

A 42-year-old man from California has been arrested on charges that he stole a semi-truck. Police say he used the victim’s iPad to FaceTime him during the theft.

VVNG explains that FaceTime call led the victim to take a screenshot of the suspect’s face. The truck was later found, without the iPad in it, and the suspect began sending threatening messages to the owner.

Ultimately, the victim was able to ping the iPad and notify officers of the suspect’s location, leading to his arrest, although he did resist it. He was charged with vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, burglary and resisting arrest with violence.

Philadelphia man’s iPhone ended up in China

Two different Philadelphia men, in unrelated incidents, had their iPhones stolen from bars in that city. One tracked his device to Shenzhen, China, after it had earlier pinged in New Orleans.

According to a subsequent 6ABC investigation, theft rings in the U.S. are taking phones and shipping them in bulk to Shenzhen, where they are sometimes sold, and other times stripped for parts.

Man and woman wanted for 2024 purchase of MacBook with stolen credit card

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers on Long Island are looking for a man and woman who they say used a stolen credit card to buy a MacBook from Best Buy in March of 2024.

Per Patch, the two are wanted for grand larceny.

Homes featured on Ted Lasso were targeted for burglaries

Before the official word in mid-March that Ted Lasso is returning for a fourth season on Apple TV+, there were reports of a burglary ring that targeted multiple homes in the London area that were featured on the show.

According to a report in The Sun in January, police are searching for the gang that they say robbed or targeted four “swanky” homes in the Richmond Green area that appeared on Ted Lasso. This included the residence that stood in for the home of team owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddington), however, in the case of that home, the residents were able to chase the thieves away.

Also targeted was a home belonging to Richard Ashcroft, of the band The Verve.

Connecticut police looking for suspect in theft of three iPhones and Apple Watch

Police in Norwich, Conn., are looking for a suspect who they say stole iPhone 16 Pro Max phones and one Apple Watch from an AT&T Store on March 13.

WFSB reports the items are valued at $6,529.96.