On February 11, 2025, Ohio police responded after a teenager suspected he was being tracked. The teen found an Apple AirTag duct-taped underneath his vehicle, on the driver’s side.
Police bodycam footage posted by AllAboutCrime on YouTube shows a police officer speaking with the teen and his mother, who revealed they had never authorized anyone to place the device there. They could not identify any ex-partner, former friend, or classmate who may have a motive to track him.
“I’ll try and take it apart and see if there’s any fingerprints on the inside of whoever either put it or ripped it or anything like that, so,” the officer said. “We expect your (DNA) to be on there. Whoever else’s prints or DNA, obviously, it’s going to be whoever put it there, so. No issues with anybody that you can think of? Any ex-girlfriend issues or old friend issues? No reason anyone should put this on your car?”
Police were called back to the same residence a short time later. This time, someone broke the back window of the family’s vehicle. Officers filed a property damage report and began comparing the damage on the vehicle with the tracking device to determine if the two incidents were connected.
“I would say it’s definitely not random since you got the AirTag and then now this is happening…just try to take some time and think if there’s any reason anybody would be upset or jealous or whatnot and go from there. I’ll talk to your neighbor with the ring camera and see if we see anything. Obviously, it won’t capture this, but it might show us, you know, a vehicle, you know, or people walking down the street or something like that,” an officer said.
After lengthy investigation, police arrested an 18-year-old man at his home on two warrants related to criminal damage, endangering, and stalking.
The suspect’s mother pushed back against officers, questioning why a warrant had been issued instead of directly contacting her son’s attorney, and objected to officers taking his phone.
“So he was asked to come in to the station and talk to a detective, right? He called his attorney. His attorney sent a letter… And they put a warrant out for him?… So, that’s my issue. This was April 22nd he got called. On April 23rd, he met with his attorney. So April 23rd or 4th, the letter went out. And now we’re May what? Over a week later, May 3rd, and no one has heard anything. His attorney hasn’t heard anything,” she said, adding, “Except for a warrant out on him? Like why wouldn’t they tell his attorney that? Isn’t that why we hire one? And can you take his phone when it’s in my name and you don’t have a warrant?”
Officers explained that seizing the phone was required under the warrant to preserve potential evidence and assured her that nothing would be deleted.
At the police station, a detective encouraged the teen to share his side of the story. However, the 18-year-old invoked his right to remain silent and declined to answer questions without his attorney present. The detective ended the interview. processed his fingerprints and arranged his transfer to the county jail.
He was formally charged with criminal damaging, endangering, and menacing by stalking. Notably, the footage shared on YouTube doesn’t show a final court outcome.
Viewers in the comments section focused heavily on the suspect’s mother’s demeanor during the incident. “It’s always telling when the mom is more upset about a warrant than her child stalking someone and destroying their car,” a viewer commented.
Another added, “The way the mom was acting about her son’s phone makes me wonder if she knows there’s evidence on it that can go against her son.”
A third wrote, “Mom knew about arraignment times and days; something tells me he’s been in trouble before. Having a lawyer on speed dial is very telling.”
“Mom is the problem. Her little perfect boy isn’t perfect. Try being a parent,” read a separate comment.
Disclaimer: Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
