iPhone-Tracking Cop Busts Smartphone Thief Using GPS Technology, Police Say Updated January 26, 2012 11:14pm

A police officer used GPS technology on his own phone to track a woman's stolen iPhone on Thurs., Jan. 26, 2012, police said. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

MANHATTAN — That’s some quick iThinking.

A police officer tracked down a woman’s stolen iPhone Thursday using GPS technology on his own device to trace the sticky-fingered robber and make an arrest, police said.

The tech-savvy cop located the mugger after he stole a 24-year-old woman’s iPhone at gunpoint inside the Tuci Italia department store at 1393 Sixth Ave. Thursday about 7 p.m., the NYPD said.

Using his own iPhone, Officer Robert Garland logged into the victim’s iTunes account and used Apple’s iCloud feature on his own device to trace the location of the stolen phone, police said.

Cops were able to track the suspect to the intersection of Eighth Avenue and West 49th Street, and when the mugger walked past police, the iPhone stashed in his boot began to beep, cops explained.

That’s when officers detained and positively identified the man, who did not have a weapon on him at the time, police said.

The suspect, George Bradshaw, 40, of the Brooklyn, was charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property, police added. 

RELATED CONTENT

• iPad and iPhone Sting Nets 141 Arrests Citywide
• iPhone Thief Arrested by Decoy Cop
• Picky iPhone Mugger Near Columbia Doesn't Want Your BlackBerry
• Greg Kelly Accuser Claimed She Got Pregnant From Alleged Rape, Sources Say
• Bloomberg Calls Anti-Muslim Film Featuring Ray Kelly 'An Embarrassment'
• Unruly Pier 45 Could Get NYPD Command Center, Cops Say

By Patrick Hedlund, DNAinfo.com

Follow Patrick on Twitter @patrickhedlund