‘My phone was nowhere to be found’: Phone thefts spike in St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Karina Andrade had her phone stolen from her purse two weeks ago in downtown St. Petersburg.
“I was celebrating my birthday at one of the bars here in downtown St. Pete,” she explained. “When I reached for my phone in my bag, my bag was open and my phone was nowhere to be found.”
So, she reached out to 8 On Your Side for help, hoping to shed light on an issue that has also affected her friends.
“It happened to three of my friends, one at the same bar and another one at a bar around the corner,” Andrade explained.
“All here in downtown St. Pete?” News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers asked.
“All in downtown St. Pete,” she confirmed.
When it happened to her, Andrade said she immediately went home to try to ping her iPhone.
“I went to my computer to find my iPhone, then I saw it was turned off,” she explained.
Tampa woman who posed as teen, molested boy, charged with more child sex crimes: police
Her best piece of advice for iPhone users?
Go to settings, and scroll down to privacy and security.
Then click location services, share my location, then find my iPhone.
Andrade said you want to make sure “Find my Network” is on so you can locate your phone even if it’s offline or powered off. She said it’s something she wished she would’ve done prior to her phone being stolen.
But how common is this?
We took that question to St. Petersburg police who said, just last month they got 15 reports of stolen phones and wallets compared to just five in March of 2023.
They’ve had 75 reports of stolen cell phones and wallets just in the past three months.
“We are seeing a slight increase in the number of stolen cell phones, wallets and personal items, particularly when people are out at bars and entertainment locations here in the city,” Ken Knight with the St. Petersburg Police Department said.
Florida company lists Disney’s former Fort Wilderness cabins for sale
He explained that they typically see more of this type of crime in crowded places, and the best thing you can do is never let your phone out of sight.
“Just always be secure of your items,” Knight explained. “Make sure you know where they are at all times.”
“If you have a cell phone, don’t leave it on a bar top or a table unless your eyes are on it at all times,” he continued. “If you have a purse make sure you keep that close to you.”
“We just want to make sure you’re safe,” he concluded. “You can still have fun, just make sure you’re safe at all times.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
