HOUSTON — A 31-year-old Houston man has been accused of illegally installing an Apple AirTag on a woman’s car so he could track her, according to court documents.
Erick Narit Cardenas is charged with unlawful installation of a tracking device, according to court documents. He was arrested on Tuesday.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the victim said she was contacted by Apple, who told her that there was an unknown AirTag device in her vehicle.
An AirTag is a small Bluetooth device that people can use to track their stuff using a secure signal once it is paired with their phone. They can attach it to their keys or their backpack to indicate where an item is in real-time.
Travelers have even started using them in their luggage in case an airline loses it.
The victim told investigators with Harris County Precinct 1 that Cardenas had come by her place of employment before, and they had a discussion. Before he left, Cardenas leaned into her vehicle window. She suspects that is when the tracking device was dropped into her car.
How to know if AirTag is tracking you
According to Apple, if any AirTag, AirPods, or other Find My network accessory separated from its owner is seen moving with you over time, you'll be notified in one of two ways. These features were created specifically to discourage people from trying to track you without your knowledge.
If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Find My will send a notification to your Apple device. This feature is available on iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later. To receive alerts, make sure that you:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and turn Location Services on.
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. Turn Find My iPhone on.
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. Turn Significant Locations on to be notified when you arrive at a significant location, such as your home.
- Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and turn Bluetooth on.
- Go to the Find My app, tap the Me tab, and turn Tracking Notifications on.
- Turn off airplane mode. If your device is in airplane mode, you won't receive tracking notifications.
An AirTag, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case, or Find My network accessory that isn't with its owner for a period of time will emit a sound when it's moved.
If you detect an unknown AirTag, Find My network accessory, or AirPods, use the steps below to learn about it, find it, and disable it.
How to know if AirTag is tracking you for Android users
According to Apple, if you're using an Android device, you can download the Tracker Detect app to find an AirTag or Find My network accessory that's separated from its owner and might be traveling with you.
