10PM: Find My iPhone App leads police to stolen property from 'hundreds' of car burglaries

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SALT LAKE CITY — The victims of a car burglary were able to turn the tables on the alleged suspects with some basic smartphone technology, and now police believe those suspects may be potentially connected to hundreds of similar burglaries across the Salt Lake Valley.

Taylor Hill and Gentry Phillips attended Tuesday night’s Utah Jazz game against the Houston Rockets and returned to discover that Phillips’ car, parked in a lot near South Temple and 400 West, had a shattered passenger window.

“I came to my driver’s side and Taylor came on to the other side, and I think we both maybe said some expletives,” Phillips said.

Hill’s car keys, textbooks and MacBook were missing.

“I just couldn’t believe it. You never think it will happen to you,” Hill said.

Hill still had his iPhone and the Find My iPhone app allowed him to pinpoint his sleeping computer to a location in Taylorsville.

He immediately contacted police.

Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke said officers arrived at the address near 4750 S. Meadow Wood Way and began to search.

“Police were able to locate the (computer) that was missing in plain view inside a vehicle,” he said.

Lohrke said officers then waited for the owners of that vehicle to return, and when they did, they arrested the man and woman later identified as 28-year-old Tyler Angelos and 26-year-old Elisha Wiley.

“(Police) took them in custody, ended up writing a search warrant not only for the vehicles but the residence they came out of,” Lohrke said.

Tyler Angelos, 28, and Elisha Wiley, 26. Photo: Salt Lake County Jail

Investigators said they subsequently uncovered between 250 and 300 purses, bags, mail, laptops and other electronics they believe had been stolen.

“Right now, we’re looking at hundreds and hundreds of cases involving vehicle burglaries from the Salt Lake Valley,” Lohrke said.

Lohrke said the investigation was continuing Wednesday and it would likely take some time, along with the process of returning the stolen property to its rightful owners.

Hill and Phillips said they were grateful police were able to get to the bottom of their case swiftly. Hill said he received his laptop back within four hours of the burglary.

“I didn’t expect justice to be that swift,” Hill said. “(Unified) Police did an excellent job.”

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