A Lakeland woman says someone stole her smart phone and thanks to an app she installed, she now has a picture of the alleged thief.
Cathy Carter said she was sent a picture of a woman after she tested an app on her phone called Lookout. She said she forgot she downloaded the app but tried it out when someone stole her Samsung Galaxy Exhibit phone from her unlocked car last week.
Carter said the phone was stolen while she was filling a prescription at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center Family Health Center.
“I’m just at a loss for words," she said. "I can’t believe someone would just reach in my car like that, and I never thought, you know, you look at an older person and you think, 'Oh no they wouldn’t do that,' but sure enough."
The Lookout app takes a picture and gives the phone's last location.
According to the app the phone was last used near Beacon Road and Lincoln Avenue in Lakeland. Carter has put up fliers near that location hoping someone will recognize the woman in the photo.
The person in the photo is described as a Hispanic female, last seen wearing a green dotted dress.
Carter says she’s determined to find her phone and prosecute the person in this photo, who police said took it.
Police say these apps are becoming more common and helps them track down more stolen devices. They say in many cases they can’t catch the thieves because the phones are passed around but they can at least return the stolen goods.
If you have any information on this case you’re asked to contact Lakeland Police Department at 863-834-6900, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-8477.