COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County family said a hidden GPS tracker helped them get their stolen four-wheeler back in a matter of hours.
The theft happened on April 13, according to Cobb County Police Department.
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Miguel Juarez said he woke up to the sound of thieves hotwiring his family’s four-wheeler on the street after pushing it out of their backyard.
“I just saw some guys in ski masks, they’re riding it right down the street,” said Juarez.
Hidden inside was an air tag that was connected to an app on his phone that allowed him to see where the thieves took it. He was recording on his phone when police found the ATV the next day, abandoned on Atlanta Rd. in Smyrna.
It’s not the typical type of stolen vehicle, but the air tag is a common thread in some of the auto theft cases.
When thieves stole Anthony Crosby’s daughter’s car in March, he said an air tag inside helped police trace it to Jackson, GA.
“She’s frustrated,” said Crosby.
Police say the thieves are leading them to criminals in other cases affecting you even if you don’t drive a Kia or Hyundai.
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“The vehicle thefts, in part, overlap with some of our gang problems that we see,” said Capt. Woolfolk.
Wednesday, APD handed out steering wheel locks to residents of Atlanta who drive these types of cars.
They plan to partner with Kia and Hyundai to hand out more of those at designated locations around the city, but a time and date have not been set yet.
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