Stolen laptop leads victim to alleged thieves

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () computerbytesman com>]

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805090392
 
May 9, 2008



Stolen laptop leads victim to alleged thieves

Richard Liebson
The Journal News 

WHITE PLAINS - Smile, you're busted.

A tech-savvy White Plains woman whose apartment was burglarized solved the
crime herself after she was able to log on to her stolen laptop, photograph
one of the suspects with it and get photos of another, police said.

Edmon Shahikian, 23, of 13 Cobbling Rock Road, Katonah, and Ian Frias, 20,
of 1609 E. 174th St., the Bronx, were picked up at their homes Wednesday
night after the victim turned the pictures over to police. The police said
they recovered most of the $5,000 worth of electronics stolen in the
burglary.

"Our victim did a phenomenal job," said Lt. Eric Fischer, commander of the
Detective Division. "She knew her computer, and she let us know as soon as
she obtained the information. We rolled on it immediately, and the result is
the arrest of two burglary suspects and the recovery of most of the stolen
property."

The burglary was reported April 27, when three roommates returned to their
Ridgeview Avenue apartment about 10 p.m. to discover that it had been
ransacked.

Among the items taken were two laptops, two flat-screen televisions, two
iPods, gaming consoles, DVDs and computer games. Police found no sign of
force.

On Tuesday, police said, one of the victims, who works at The Apple Store in
The Westchester mall, received a call from a friend asking her if she was
online.

The victim said no, and was told by the friend that his computer showed her
as being logged onto the Internet.

At that point, police said, the victim signed onto another computer and used
the "Back to My Mac" program to determine that her stolen MacIntosh laptop
indeed was signed onto the Web and that someone was using it to shop online.
She then activated the stolen computer's camera, allowing her to "see" what
was in front of the laptop.

At first, police said, she saw only an empty chair. But a short time later,
they said, she was able to photograph a man, Shahikian, sitting in front of
her stolen laptop. The victim then was able to find photos of Frias using
the computer after it had been stolen, police said.

...

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