iPhone app helps capture Echo Park robbers

Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr

Four employees of an Echo Park restaurant were on Echo Park Avenue early this morning when a group of robbers – one of them armed with a shotgun – jumped out of a van and confronted the workers. The robbers drove off with cash, personal belongings and an iPhone during the 1:30 a.m. crime. But unfortunately, for the robbers, the phone was equipped with a Find My iPhone app, which helps the owners track down  lost or stolen phones.

After calling police from the restaurant, an officer was able to help them find the location of the stolen phone, said restaurant co owner Charles Kelly. “Three hours later, across town, a number of people were identified and arrested for the armed robbery,” said Kelly.

An officer at the LAPD Northeast Division confirmed that arrests were made after officers had the stolen phone “pinged” but he had no further details about the incident.

Maybe it’s time someone develops a Bail-Me-Out-Jail app.