Armed suspects used AirTag to track victims in home invasion, deputies say

Two suspects were arrested last week in connection with an armed home invasion near Tampa, Florida, that occurred back in August in which an Apple AirTag was used to track the victims' SUV, authorities said. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released surveillance video Monday which showed the attempted armed robbery of a couple after they pulled into the driveway of their home in Odessa, a community north of Tampa, on the night of Aug. 19. 

Deputies said the suspects had taped an AirTag under the bumper of the victims' vehicle and then tracked it to the home and lay in wait. 

The video showed two men forcing the couple into their garage. 

"The wife opens her door, and she's immediately attacked by one of our suspects," Hillsborough County Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer told CBS News. "He physically grabs her and pulls her out of the car. Almost simultaneously, the driver and husband gets pulled out of the car with a gun into his waist."

However, after entering the garage, the house alarm was triggered, prompting the two suspects to flee, the sheriff's office said. The AirTag was later found by investigators taped beneath the vehicle. 

Deputies arrested 26-year-old Luis Charles in Tampa on Oct. 8, and, two days later, 32-year-old Omardy Maldonado-Rodriguez was apprehended in Pasco County, where Odesa is located, the sheriff's office said. Both were booked on charges including armed kidnapping and armed burglary. 

Maurer explains that while the AirTag allowed the suspects to track their victims, it also helped investigators track the suspects because "they used their name to purchase" the AirTag, he alleged.  

"They used their name to register it, and their phone number, and their email address," Maurer said. "So that was the big break in the case, because we were able to identify through video surveillance who these suspects were."

Roberto Larreal, who owns a Miami-based home security company, told CBS News people should be aware that their iPhone will show them if there is an AirTag near them, even if it is not theirs. 

"The iPhone can let you know whether an AirTag was found near you," Larreal said. "It doesn't matter if it's yours or not. And then if you have an Android, there's apps that you can download, and the app can do the search for you. So it keeps you aware."

Apple says it works closely with law enforcement and safety groups. The company says that each AirTag is tied to a specific Apple ID and serial number. 

• Home Invasion
• Apple
• Florida