A mother whose Kia Sportage was stolen in Chigwell, Essex, used the Apple MacBook left inside it to track down the vehicle within minutes.
Vivi Kala, 38, had parked on a residential street beside the Prince Regent Hotel on the evening of August 20. When she returned, the car had disappeared.
Her laptop, along with three child car seats and other family belongings, was still inside the vehicle. Kala then opened Apple’s Find My app and discovered that the MacBook was showing a location around six minutes away.
She and her husband quickly booked an Uber and alerted police while following the signal. Kala said the driver became involved in the pursuit and helped them reach the tracked location.
By the time they arrived, the vehicle’s number plates had allegedly been changed. The MacBook was found in the boot, among children’s belongings including a scooter, boots and a favourite soft toy.
In a post shared online, Kala described how she had initially feared the theft would leave her family facing the loss of their car and possessions. Instead, the laptop’s location gave them a lead to follow.
Her husband remained on the phone to police as they travelled to the location, according to Kala’s account. The circumstances surrounding the alleged theft and the recovery of the Kia have not been detailed by Essex Police.
The incident happened near the Prince Regent Hotel on Manor Road, Chigwell, in the Epping Forest area of Essex.
