Apple Watch GPS Tracker Leads to Arrest of 27-Year-Old Man in Turin

Italian State Police arrested a 27-year-old fugitive in the Aurora district of Turin on August 2, 2026, after using the GPS signal from a stolen Apple Watch to track his location. The suspect was apprehended following the theft of a backpack containing the wearable device, which allowed authorities to pinpoint his exact coordinates.

According to reports from local news outlets, the arrest occurred after the suspect stole a backpack. The victim’s Apple Watch, which remained inside the stolen bag, provided a real-time location feed that led officers directly to the suspect’s position in the Aurora neighborhood.

The individual was already identified as a fugitive by law enforcement prior to the theft. Upon his arrest, the suspect faced charges related to the theft and the receiving of stolen goods, known as ricettazione under Italian law.

The use of the Apple Watch’s GPS capabilities in this operation highlights the role of the Find My network in criminal investigations. This system allows users to locate missing devices through a crowdsourced network of Apple hardware, which can relay location data even when a device is not connected to a cellular network, provided it is near other Apple devices.

Law enforcement agencies increasingly rely on these hardware-level tracking features to recover stolen property and locate suspects. In this specific case, the continuous signal emitted by the watch eliminated the need for traditional surveillance or manual searches within the Aurora district.

The suspect remains in custody as the State Police process the charges of theft and receiving stolen goods, alongside the existing warrants that had labeled him a fugitive.