Stolen iPhone Recovered During Traffic Stop

On July 24, at about 6:50 PM, a woman reported to the Burbank Police Department that her Apple iPhone had just been stolen, after she set it down next to her on a bench. The victim never even saw the suspect and did not immediately notice her phone was gone.

As a Burbank Police Officer began investigating the circumstances of the theft, the victim tracked the iPhone's location using an application. The phone was showing stationary about two miles away, in the area of Verdugo Avenue and Virginia Avenue. Burbank Police Officers responded to this intersection to look for the victim's phone.

When officers arrived, they saw a second set of Burbank Police Officers on an unrelated traffic enforcement stop, at the same intersection. These officers happened to have stopped a vehicle for a red light violation. The driver of that vehicle had a suspended license and the car was subsequently impounded.

During an inventory of the vehicle pursuant to the impound, police officers found an iPhone inside the center console. That iPhone was the stolen iPhone belonging to the victim.

The driver of the vehicle was placed under arrest for grand theft as well as an outstanding arrest warrant. He has since been identified as Anthony Romero, 37, of Burbank. On July 26, the Burbank City Attorney's office filed one count each of grand theft and driving on a suspended license against Romero.

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