AirTag Leads Police To Stolen Car, Suspects In San Mateo: Police

SAN MATEO, CA — Two men were arrested on Thursday after an investigation into a stolen car led San Mateo police officers to the suspects using a concealed Apple AirTag, police said.

At 6:41 a.m. on Thursday, police said they received a call about a stolen car from the 300 block of N. Delaware Street. The person who called told officers that the car had a hidden AirTag, which was actively pinging in the vicinity of Marina Court and Day Avenue, police said.

An Apple MacBook and other property were also reported stolen along with the car, police said.

The stolen car was found under a car cover in the area where the AirTag was pinging.

Police said they identified 25-year-old Angel Vonbardeleben, a San Mateo resident, and 26-year-old Hector Juarez Cruz, a San Jose resident, as suspects.

At 12:13 p.m., officers said they saw a silver Mercedes sedan occupied by both Vonbardeleben and Juarez Cruz and initiated a traffic stop.

Police said the stolen laptop's AirTag was pinging from within the Mercedes. Officers said they searched the car and recovered all the reported stolen items.

Vonbardeleben was booked into the San Mateo County Jail and arrested on multiple charges, including vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and grand theft.

Juarez Cruz was issued a misdemeanor citation for possession of stolen property related to an unrelated out-of-state theft case and was released.