Overview

• The woman, visiting from the United States, used the AirPods Find My feature to locate her stolen purse near Santa Maria del Giglio and held a 14-year-old suspect by the ponytail until police arrived.
• Police said the minors resisted but were arrested, taken to a station, charged with theft, and released on bail within days.
• The victim suffered a head wound during the confrontation that required stitches, according to her daughter's account on TikTok.
• Authorities later recovered the tourist's passport and credit cards after stopping a suspect at the airport, but her cash and AirPods were not found.
• The viral footage has renewed attention on Venice's pickpocket problem as local officials cite hurdles such as victims needing to attend hearings and the limited liability of very young offenders.