Skip to main content

iCloud does it again! iPad thieves foiled by incriminating selfies

iphone 6s icloud bug header
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It’s hard to be a thief these days — technology always seems to catch up with the culprits. Police arrested two men in Houston, Texas who stand accused of stealing thousands of dollars and an iPad from a man’s truck. The thieves took incriminating selfies after the heist, which went straight to the victim’s iCloud, and then to the police.

Dorian Walker-Gaines and Dillan Thompson now stand accused of theft, and the victim, Randy Schaefer has his iPad and cash back.

thievesRelated: Phone thief calls the cops after victim tries to get his property back

Walker-Gaines and Thompson reportedly stole $5000 cash and an iPad from Schaefer’s unlocked truck on January 8, while it was parked in front of his house. Schaefer gave the iPad up as lost until he saw photos of two men holding hundred dollar bills in his iCloud image feed. Schaefer then took the photos to police, who then followed the trail on social media straight to the thieves’ door.

The thieves also took a video of themselves flashing the hundred dollar bills they’d stolen, which later appeared on YouTube. The video description claims that the video surfaced after friends of Schaefer posted the pictures of the thieves found on iCloud on Reddit and other social media. Apparently, someone recognized the thieves and linked the YouTuber to Walker-Gaines’ Facebook account where he had posted the video.

A few other stolen items were later found outside a Starbucks, where Schaefer believes the thieves took the selfies that would soon lead to their downfall. That’s another crime solved, thanks to iCloud and the power of the Internet.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
This iPad just got a rare discount — save $100 at Best Buy
Call of Duty: Mobile on the iPad (2022).

The standard Apple 10.9-inch iPad rarely sees a deep discount but that’s the case over at Best Buy at the moment. Normally priced at $449, you can buy one for just $349 for a limited time. A hefty saving of $100, this is one of the better iPad deals at the moment and worth checking out if you want a new tablet or you’re keen to buy someone a great gift. Here’s what the Apple 10.9-inch iPad has to offer.

Why you should buy the Apple 10.9-inch iPad
The Apple 10.9-inch iPad is a pretty good tablet for anyone who wants something straightforward and useful. It has an attractive 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support so it looks great with whatever you’re doing, whether you’re browsing the internet, watching videos, or playing a game. It’s powered by the A14 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU which is why the Apple 10.9-inch iPad easily joins the best iPads list for anyone seeking a great mid-range example. It’s easily capable of playing many games through Apple Arcade as well as being snappy when it comes to looking up YouTube videos and similar.

Read more
Best iPad deals: Save on iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini for the New Year
iPad Pro 2020 Screen.

There's a tablet out there for almost everyone, with designs available to accommodate anything from kids to creative professionals. The Apple iPad is one of the most popular tablet lineups, with the best iPads offering a wide range of options and capabilities. If you’re in the market for a new iPad, there are some great iPad deals worth shopping right now. In fact, not only are iPads some of the best Apple deals currently taking place, but some of the best tablet deals as well. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the best tablet deals to shop at the moment. They include iPads, iPad cases and covers, and iPad accessories, so read onward for more details.
Apple iPad 10.2 (9th Gen) 64GB Wi-Fi -- $249, was $329

Apple's A13 Bionic chip is no M1 or M2, but it still offers 64-bit architecture and neural engine support for excellent performance. In other words, this 10.2-inch iPad is incredible value. It has a 10.2-inch Retina display, 64GB of storage, supports Touch ID and Apple Pencil (1st Gen), and it's size, plus all-day battery life make it an excellent choice for anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle.

Read more
Apple accidentally revealed a big iPad Pro display upgrade
The iPad Pro (2022) sitting in the Magic Keyboard.

iPad Pro 2022 Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple is already past its usual upgrade cycle for the iPad Pro after the previous model was released in October 2022. Latest reports hint at an announcement now set for "early May" this year where Apple will unveil the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, even though a proper event seems unlikely. Despite Apple's suggested lack of fervor, these purported new iPad models are expected to bring significant changes, especially to the display.

Read more