According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, a young man or boy, using a sawed-off shotgun, threatened several people on a train platform and demanded they turn over their phones. No one was hurt, fortunately, and according to the story, the police have the suspect in custody, although they declined to say how they identified him.
Given it was cell phones that were taken, it’s not a hard leap to make to think that one of them, at least, probably had anti-theft software like Lookout or Prey installed, which allows users to track their phones, remote wipe them, etc. With that kind of technology installed, and quick thinking on the part of those who were victimized, police have a tool to help get criminals off the street while the crimes are still minor and no one is hurt, which is nothing but good.
If you don’t have security software installed on your device already, this is a good wake-up call that cell phones and other mobile devices are prime targets for thieves, so you should go check out the options now, and pick the one that works best for you. If you need help identifying the best anti-theft Android app, take a look at some we’ve recommended.