A Havertown teen used technology to help police track down a thief who allegedly ran off with the 17-year-old’s iPhone.
How did Shahin Charkhi get his phone back after it was allegedly grabbed by a fellow teen on the El train in West Philly?
There’s an app for that.
Shahin’s SEPTA El ride home from the city to the suburbs was cut short last Friday afternoon.
Shahin was showing a cell phone video to a friend when a 16-year-old boy snatched Shahin’s iPhone 4 at the stop at 56th and Market and took off from the El platform.
“Me and my friend were chasing him and then we fell down a couple stairs, we jumped over the turnstile -- and then he was gone,” Shahin told NBC Philadelphia’s Rosemary Connors.
“Wow, how am I going to catch this kid?” wondered Shahin. “He’s got my $300 phone, what am I gonna do, how am I gonna replace it.”
Shahin and his buddy quickly spotted two police officers on patrol, who offered them a ride and help to find the phone. Scanning the streets, Shahin realized he had an ace up his sleeve:
The free app uses GPS technology to find your phone. All Shahin had to do was use his Apple login on his friend’s cell and a map tracked his phone -- and the alleged robber’s -- whereabouts.
Police soon zeroed in on a SEPTA bus -- the suspect’s getaway. Eventually cops had their man and Shahin had his phone back.
“I was helping them -- i felt like a police officer for a minute -- I was like OK, I caught them,” Shahin said.
And Shahin even might consider a career in law enforcement after graduation, he said.
For now Philly Police are recognizing him as a civilian part of the force.
“We made him a civilian employee of the team -- so that’s a good thing,” said a smiling Lt. John Walker. “But he’s just not being paid.”
The key was having quick access to the Internet, so Shahin could login, police said.
The technology assist isn’t lost on Shahin.
“It’s amazing, it really is amazing -- I hope that it helps others as well.”
