A trip to Venice turned into a rat and mouse chase for a family from North Carolina after they were targeted by a notorious pickpocket gang. The woman, visiting Italy from the US with her husband and kids, confronted three teenagers after her bag was stolen near a crowded bridge in the city. The tourist noticed her backpack had been opened, and several items were missing.
Her purse, passport, cash, credit cards, a water bottle, and AirPods were gone. Using Apple’s “Find My” tracking system linked to the AirPods, she followed the signal and located three girls believed to be behind the theft. The entire ordeal was shared by her step-daughter, Karis McElroy, on TikTok.
US tourist tracks down Venice pickpocket
The now viral video shows the woman tracking down the young girl and holding her by her ponytail. The pickpocket can be seen screaming and fighting back, but the woman held her ground. Amongst the three girls, one escaped but was caught at the airport. The tourist’s bag was later recovered at a US liaison office inside Venice’s airport. Authorities confirmed that her passport and credit cards were recovered intact.
Pickpocket injures US tourist
As per the NY Post, in a subsequent video, Kris was heard saying, “The police officers came, and they were about to arrest these girls when the girl that had the bag over her shoulder went and swung it and hit my mom, and it hit my mom in the head.”
{{/usCountry}}As per the NY Post, in a subsequent video, Kris was heard saying, “The police officers came, and they were about to arrest these girls when the girl that had the bag over her shoulder went and swung it and hit my mom, and it hit my mom in the head.”
{{/usCountry}}She further said, “And in the bag was that metal water bottle that they took from my mom. So my mom had a massive gash on her head, and it was bleeding everywhere. She got a black eye from it, and the girls were arrested. And then my mom had to go to the hospital and get some stitches.”
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Kris also later shared that the Airbnb owner and other local business owners were really supportive and even gave her mother a necklace for free to apologize.
Italian outlet Il Messaggero reported that the pickpocket was only 14 years old and was let out on bail just two days later. This is not the first incident to happen in Venice. The city is facing severe problems of pickpockets that target tourists in crowded spaces.
FAQs:
1. Where did the pickpocket incident take place in Venice?
The incident happened near the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice’s busiest tourist spots.
2. How did the US tourist catch the suspect?
She used the Apple “Find My” app to track her missing AirPods, which led her to the suspect.
3. What did the police recover from the pickpocket?
Officers found the tourist’s AirPods along with other stolen goods, including wallets and phones.