AirTag and manual transmission foil carjacking attempt

There is a recent news article from Chicago that demonstrates how Apple's AirTag item tracker is adaptable in various situations.

CWBChicago recently reported an unusual case of an attempted carjacking that ended in failure, partly because the perpetrator lacked the necessary driving skills to operate a stick shift car. According to the report, 25-year-old Andrew Moran approached a woman who was sitting in her Audi A3 in the Chicago neighborhood of Lakeview on the night of March 15. Moran allegedly told the woman that he needed her car to escape from people who were trying to kill him.

The victim, fearing for her safety, complied with Moran's demand and got out of the car. Moran, who reportedly held his left hand inside his jacket pocket as if he had a gun, then attempted to drive off in the car. However, he soon realized that the car had a manual transmission and he did not know how to operate it.

Prosecutors stated that Moran struggled to get the car moving and eventually gave up. Meanwhile, the victim called the police from a nearby store. As Moran fled the scene, he took the victim's car keys with him, not realizing that they had an AirTag attached.

The police were able to track the AirTag via the victim's Find My app and located Moran on a Blue Line train. They intercepted the train at Addison station and arrested Moran, finding the victim's keys on the train car. However, Moran allegedly did not go down without a fight. According to the police, he spat in an officer's face and kicked several other officers during his arrest.

Moran was charged with vehicular hijacking and aggravated battery of peace officers. The incident serves as a reminder that attempting to steal a car with a manual transmission without knowing how to operate it can lead to failure, and that technology such as AirTags can be useful in apprehending criminals.