Deadly Apple Picking – Teen Killed Over iPad

According to CNET, the Las Vegas Sun reported the death of teenager Marcos Vincente Arenas as a consequence of getting run over by a thief who stole his iPad.

The Las Vegas Sun story said that the fifteen year-old was walking down the street when an SUV, described as a white Ford Explorer or Expedition, stopped alongside him and grabbed the iPad. The teenager refused to let go of his device and was dragged by the man towards the SUV. The thief then got back into the vehicle, and it sped away. Unfortunately, Arenas never released his hold on his iPad, consequently getting run over by the vehicle. He later died of his injuries in hospital.

The gruesome story is just the latest in a continuing trend of robberies of high-tech personal devices such as smartphones and tablets. Big cities seem to be hot spots for such criminal activity. CNET’s report specified that in NYC alone, a staggering 14 percent of all crimes in 2012 were thefts of iPads and iPhones. And in San Francisco, nearly half of all reported thefts involved some type of cell phone.

Regarding the deadly iPad theft in Las Vegas, LV Metro Police spokesman Bill Cassell had this to say: “(Gadgets are) lightweight, portable — you can run and hide with them. It’s about the next best thing to stealing money.“

Consequently, police in general have offered this piece of advice should you find yourself a target of gadget theft: Don’t try to resist, as personal property can be replaced if needed. It’s not a fair trade to lose your life over a mere gadget.