AirTag leads to arrest of airline worker in luggage thefts, sheriff says

OKALOOSA CO., Fla. (Gray News) – A sheriff’s office in Florida said an Apple AirTag helped find the man suspected in the theft of luggage items worth more than $16,000.

Giovanni De Luca, a 19-year-old subcontractor at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, faces two counts of grand theft.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday on Facebook that a traveler reported her luggage missing in July, with items worth more than $1,600. She said the AirTag she had in her bags last showed activity on a street in Mary Esther, Fla.

Another person reported jewelry and other items valued at more than $15,000 missing from their luggage Aug. 9.

Deputies said they cross-referenced the addresses of airline employees with the AirTag’s signal and met De Luca at his home on the same street.

Investigators said they recovered the items reported missing Aug. 9, and De Luca also admitted to going through the first victim’s suitcase and removing the AirTag. The other belongings of the first victim were not found.

“This arrest is an example of excellent teamwork by our Airport Security Unit, our investigators, and the airport to find the person responsible for these thefts and make sure he is held responsible,” said Sheriff Eric Aden in the post.