Man frustrated Durham police can't find his iPad despite tracking app
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Thanks to the Find My iPhone app, Joe Nyaanga told me he knows where his stolen iPad is.
"Every time they turn it on it pops on to my email," he explained.
Since the iPad was stolen from Nyaanga's truck parked in his driveway back in March, he's received several emails from the app showing him its location.
"It showed me an address, so I called the police," he said.
Nyaanga already filed a police report after the break-in, and said he called the Durham police detective assigned to his case every time he got an alert.
"They told me 'That's a big hotel, it is going to take time,'" he said.
The next alert he got was the iPad was at a gas station on Angier Avenue in Durham.
"They told me, just give me the details, and we will let you know what happens," Nyaanga recalled.
Nyaanga said he never heard anything, but the app alerted him the iPad traveled right next door to the gas station at a specific house on Angier Avenue. According to the app, the iPad has been there for days.
Nyaanga said he called the Durham detective again and left a message, but he said he didn't hear anything back. The app claims his stolen iPad is still at the same house for more than a month.
"I'm kind of disappointed because I am able to see and feel like something can be done to get it back," he said.
Nyaanga got in touch with me, and I reached out to Durham police. A rep said Nyaanga's case is an active case and the detective is on the case.
Nyaanga said he's baffled more can't be done especially with technology that shows the exact location of his stolen iPad.
"If they can do a better job, especially tracking something like this, it is easy. That's a better way of getting the bad guys off the street," he said.
Nyaanga said after we started asking questions, the detective did tell him they went to the home where the app tracked the stolen iPad to be, he said the detective told him they asked the residents if they had the iPad, but they said no.
While Nyaanga's iPad can be turned on and off, he said it's password protected, so even though the thieves have his iPad, he doesn't think they can do anything with it.
This is something to consider when buying a used iPad, before you exchange any money make sure you can actually do more than just turn it on and off, you actually have access to it.
Also, don't fall for "I don't have a charger. All you need to do is charge it and it will work." Those are all red flags.
