To catch a mail thief, you need to mail yourself an Apple AirTag

2025 is expected to bring (among many other gadgets) the Apple AirTag 2 – the new version of the popular item tracker. It should be even better than the original AirTag, which is the hero of the following story.

A California woman, fed up with constantly losing her mail to thieves, played a clever trick that led to the arrest of two suspects after she mailed herself an Apple AirTag.

The woman, who has not been identified, kept a mailbox at the Los Alamos Post Office in the Santa Maria Valley and had experienced multiple incidents of mail theft, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

On Tuesday, around 7:15 a.m., police were called to the post office after the woman reported another theft. She informed the officers that she had sent herself a package containing an Apple AirTag. Outstanding move!

Using the information from the AirTag, police quickly tracked down the two suspects in Santa Maria. They were found in possession of the stolen mail, including the package with the AirTag.

The suspects were also discovered with items believed to have been stolen from more than a dozen other victims, according to the sheriff’s office.

In a statement, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office praised the woman for her creative approach to catching the thieves and for responsibly involving law enforcement to ensure the safe and successful apprehension of the suspects.

The two suspects were identified as Virginia Francesca Lara, 27, of Santa Maria, and Donald Ashton, 37, of Riverside. They were charged with possession of checks with the intent to commit fraud, identity theft, credit card theft, and conspiracy.

Lara was booked at the county’s Northern Branch Jail with a bond set at $50,000.

Ashton, who also had several theft-related warrants from Riverside County, was held on a $460,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case, and detectives are working to identify and contact additional victims.