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Burglars going after LA Apple Store customers
I better be careful next time I walk out of my Apple Store here in Santa Monica -- apparently burglars are targeting Apple Store customers here in the Los Angeles area. Over 100 customers have apparently been targeted after leaving the store and keeping a computer or other purchase in their car. The thieves wait for customers to walk away from Apple Store bags in their car, either at home or at another store, and then they break in and take them. For some reason, no computers have yet been returned, either, which makes cops think that they're possibly being "shipped out of the country or fenced right away." But of course that would require an organized ring, and police aren't even sure these are all related yet. How to prevent this from happening to you? Don't leave an expensive computer unattended in your car (duh), or just make the Apple Store the last stop on your list. I've made a few pricey purchases while driving around out here (most recently, I picked up a PS3), and no matter what the neighborhood, I didn't feel safe about leaving it unattended. Even when I'm just carrying my iPod around, I always lock it out of sight in the glovebox before parking the car. As with all of these types of situations, a little bit of care goes a long way.
Thieves steal a truckload of Rock Band
The LA Times reports today that a truck with over 1,000 boxes of Rock Band was hijacked last weekend. The robbers kidnapped the truck driver, held him at gunpoint while they unloaded the truck and then released him after the deed was done. For those interested in the math, the thieves got away with $170,000 worth of merchandise.According to authorities the circumstances of this hijack are very rare, as the thieves actually kidnapped the driver and drove around for an hour -- the kidnapping charges carry a life sentence. Our big question: How do you inconspicuously store and fence 1,000 Rock Band boxes? May we suggest checking the Canadian border? We hear they're getting a little desperate up there.[Thanks to all who sent this in]
Thieves jack 14 GPS devices, forget to turn them off
Yeah, we've seen quite a bit of mishaps happen in conjunction with operating a GPS device, and the list of brainless criminals is (fortunately) seeming to get longer each day, but this heist made the cops' jobs so easy it's almost implausible. A few crooks with a potentially bright idea set out to swipe a dozen or so cellphones from the Town of Babylon Public Works garage in Lindenhurst, NY, but unfortunately for them, the 14 units they swiped turned out to be GPS devices. As expected, Suffolk County police didn't have any qualms tracking the bandits down, and actually found the head criminal holding one of their prizes when they entered his home, as he was presumably trying to call his mother (or partners in crime) and explain all he'd accomplished. Nevertheless, the father and his 13-year old son, along with another 20-year old culprit, were all taken in on charges of grand larceny and stupidity, but at least justice prevailed, eh?[Via Fark]
