California owner of expensive e-bike outsmarts criminal with Apple AirTag tracking
A family in Orange County, California was able to get their bike back thanks to the Apple AirTag. (FOX 11)
A family in California is thankful for modern technology after they had the foresight to place an Apple AirTag on their expensive electronic bike which brought them to the thief's doorstep.
Johnny Ehrman relies on her $3,000 e-bike to commute daily to school and work. When she realized that her dependable bike was stolen while she was at work, she was devastated.
"I drive like 12 miles a day," Ehrman told FOX 11 Los Angeles. "I was sobbing outside my workplace. I actually had some of my coworkers be like, ‘What’s happening? Where is your bike?'"
Johnny Ehrman placed a small Apple AirTag on her electronic bike, which she uses to commute to work and school. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
Johnny Ehrman's electronic bike is worth $3,000 and was stolen while she was at work. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
Ehrman said she left the pedals and wheel locked, removed the battery, but the bike wasn't locked onto a fixed object.
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However, Ehrman had the foresight to buy a $29 AirTag and place the tracking device onto her e-bike before it was stolen.
After calling 911, Ehrman talked with her father, David. The pair took out her iPhone and tracked the stolen e-bike and saw that the AirTag was still on the move.
The Ehrman's watched Johnnys Apple Airtag travel to an apartment complex in California after it was stolen. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
David tracked the e-bike until it stopped at an apartment complex nearby the family's Orange County home. After he went to the exact location of the e-bike, he had a "brief confrontation" with the man who attempted to steal his daughter's e-bike.
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"The dude just stood there with the look on his face like I've never seen anyone with that look," the dad said. "I think the look was shock. Like ‘How did you get my location?’"
"The dude just stood there with the look on his face like I've never seen anyone with that look, I think the look was shock, like ‘How did you get my location?’"
The Orange County Sheriff's Office did not release the name of the person who attempted to steal the e-bike.
A spokesperson with the Sheriff's Department reminded residents to let local law enforcement take over the recovery of stolen items.
"As much as the convenience of technology plays a vital role in the quality of our lives, we want to remind our communities to utilize their local law enforcement services when they've been victimized by a crime instead of placing themselves into harm's way," the spokesperson said.
Johnny Ehrman is relieved that she placed an Apple AirTag on her e-bike and that her father was able to retrieve it. (FOX 11 Los Angeles)
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