Thieves nabbed by 'genius' gal who AirTag-baited 'em. Sheriff chuckles.

California Woman 'Heroically' Uses AirTag, Ruins Mail Thieves' Day

Oh, joyous day! A California woman—let's call her Karen—has struck a blow against the evil forces of mail theft, and the internet is abuzz with her genius. Brace yourselves for this thrilling tale of technology and sheer brilliance.

Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies were jolted from their early morning donut stupor by a call around 7:17 a.m. on Aug. 19. Apparently, the Los Alamos Post Office had a mail theft issue—again. But not to worry, Karen had a plan. She, in her infinite wisdom, mailed a package to herself with one of those fancy Apple AirTags stuffed inside. Because, you know, who needs to spend $29 on something useful when you can make a makeshift bait package instead?

And—gasp!—her mail was stolen again! Surprise, surprise. But this time, she called the cops, and they nabbed the dastardly duo—Virginia Franchessca Lara, 27, from Santa Maria, and Donald Ashton Terry, 37, from Riverside.

USA TODAY tried contacting their attorneys but, shocker, haven't heard back. I mean, who needs public defenders when you've got Apple tracking your every move, right?

The Stollen Mail Bernard's Cache

But wait, there’s more! Lara and Terry had a veritable treasure trove of stolen goodies, not just Karen's precious package. They were caught with items believed to be stolen from over a dozen other victims. Oh, the humanity!

Lara, the mastermind, was booked at the Northern Branch Jail for a bunch of charges, including possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, fictitious checks, identity theft, credit card theft, and conspiracy. She’s being held on a $50,000 bond. Because, you know, women can't just stick to stealing lipstick and manicure sets anymore.

Terry, the Riverside ruffian, was booked for burglary, possession of checks with intent to commit fraud, credit card theft, identity theft, and conspiracy. Plus, a bunch of theft-related warrants from Riverside County. He’s being held on a hefty $460,000 bond. Guess he forgot to bring his "Get Out of Jail Free" card.

"The Sheriff’s Office would like to commend the victim for her proactive solution, while highlighting that she also exercised appropriate caution by contacting law enforcement to safely and successfully apprehend the suspects," the release said. Yeah, good job, Karen. You've set a new standard for suburban vigilante justice.

Deputies are now swamped with additional work on this case, which probably means more overtime and fewer donuts. Thanks a lot, Karen.