Porch Pirate Suspect Arrested in Athens After Stealing Apple iWatch, Linked to Multiple Thefts
On September 3, 2024, a video camera captured the suspect, Abraham Castro Araujo, stealing an Apple iWatch that had been delivered by FedEx to a residence. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), already handling multiple cases of porch piracy in the area, quickly responded after receiving the footage. The video showed both the suspect and the blue Ford Escape he was driving.
Using law enforcement software, detectives tracked the vehicle throughout the Metro Atlanta area. As the Ford Escape traveled towards Athens, FCSO detectives contacted the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. A detective from Athens-Clarke located the vehicle at an apartment community and identified Castro Araujo as the driver.
Athens-Clarke County Police later stopped the Ford Escape behind an AirBnB where Castro Araujo stated he was staying on vacation. In the back seat of the vehicle, officers found an opened package addressed to Alexandria, Virginia. Further investigation revealed an opened FedEx box addressed to a victim from Milton PD, as well as a packing slip from AT&T addressed to the FCSO victim.
Following these discoveries, Athens-Clarke County PD obtained a search warrant for the AirBnB. Inside the apartment, officers recovered a large quantity of stolen electronics, including:
- 2 Apple iPhone 14s
- 1 Apple iPhone 15
- 2 Apple iPhone 15 Pros
- 4 Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
- 2 Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
- 1 Samsung Galaxy A15 G
- 1 Apple Watch Ultra 2
Abraham Castro Araujo was arrested and charged with Felony Theft by Receiving Stolen Property in connection with the FCSO and Milton PD cases. The investigation continues as authorities work to link the recovered items to additional victims.
