A hidden Mercedes, a pinging AirTag, and a midday traffic stop all came together for San Mateo police on Thursday, ending with one man booked into jail and another cited after a stolen car and various items swiped were recovered.
Officers say a 25-year-old man was arrested and another person was issued a misdemeanor citation after investigators tracked a reported stolen Mercedes to a residential area. Among the items recovered were an Apple MacBook and other property that police say have since been returned to their rightful owners.
According to a post by the San Mateo Police Department, the case started with a stolen-vehicle report from the 300 block of N. Delaware Street. Not long after, an Apple AirTag associated with the stolen car began pinging near Marina Court and Day Avenue. While officers canvassed the neighborhood, they found a Mercedes tucked under a car cover in the area, then pulled over a silver Mercedes sedan at about 12:13 PM as part of the investigation…