Mail theft suspects arrested after Santa Barbara County woman uses Apple AirTag as bait

LOS ALAMOS, Calif. (KABC) -- Two people suspected of mail theft have been arrested after a Santa Barbara County woman whose mail had been stolen used an Apple Airtag to track the suspects, authorities said.

Deputies responded Monday morning to a report of mail theft at the Los Alamos Post Office, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

"When they arrived, deputies learned that the victim had items stolen from her post office box recently, so she mailed herself a package that included an AirTag locator device," the statement said, adding that the woman's mail was again stolen Monday morning.

The newly stolen mail included the package with the AirTag inside.

"It is important to note that the victim did not attempt to contact the suspects on her own," the Sheriff's Office said.

The suspects were found in the 600 block of East Sunrise Drive in Santa Maria. They were in possession of the victim's mail with the AirTag, along with items believed to have been stolen from over a dozen additional victims, according to authorities.

The suspects are identified as 27-year-old Virginia Franchessca Lara of Santa Maria and 37-year-old Donald Ashton Terry of Riverside.

Lara was booked for felonies including possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, fictitious checks, identity theft, credit card theft and conspiracy, the news release said. She was being held on $50,000 bail.

Terry was booked for felonies including burglary, possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, credit card theft, identity theft, and conspiracy. He was also booked on several theft related warrants from Riverside County and was being held on $460,000 bail.

The Sheriff's Office commended the victim "for her proactive solution, while highlighting that she also exercised appropriate caution by contacting law enforcement to safely and successfully apprehend the suspects."

Deputies were working to contact additional victims.