Arizona teen's mobile shops him to cops

An Arizona teen was cuffed after his mobile phone rang the police while he was boasting about the theft of a car stereo, the Phoenix New Times reports. The unnamed 16-year-old, from Peoria, was recorded "bragging to his homies" by local law enforcement operatives, who heard him say of the stereo: "It was bolted down - I had to …

[Dan]

ROTM, of course!

Clearly, the newly self-aware Skynet detected the removal of part of it's distributed network (aka car radio), and used another part of it's network (the phone) to call the cops!

Where's the lizard army icon?

[Anonymous Coward]

Are US phones like UK ones?

In that you can dial emergency numbers without unlocking the pad?

Hence 999 (and 112) calls are not handled by the emergency services until the call has been validated by the Mobile operators?

[Luis Ogando]

Emergency Numbers

Every mobile I've owned has still allowed me to dial 999 (or 112) when the keypad lock is on. This means that wallet, keys, table edges and anything else I clumsily stumble into has a pretty good chance of hitting one of the still-active keys. Perhaps US 'cells' keep the 9 and 1 keys active in case of emergency.

Still, the perp was caught and, in true US style, his parents/guardians are taking legal action against the local law enforcement community for removing the little gits right to sell on his ill-gotten gains without intervention.*

Paris, 'cos her mobile's set to vibrate.... I think.

*Probably!

[Anonymous Coward]

Phone ring emergancy services

I have found my phone rang 999 and recorded the phone call once. All while it was sat in my pocket. But it find it strange how it was sensitive enough to pickup his voice clear enough for this

[Nate]

Ah, Home....

It's nice seeing Phoenix pop up on the Reg's radar... but then again, why did you have to showcase the stupidity of our youngsters?

[The BigYin]

You can always call emergency

"112" (and "999" for those behind the times in the UK) will always work. The phone can be locked and out of credit, but you can still dial them in the UK. Interestingly, my UK phone accepts "911" as well.

This is, I believe, statutory regulation.

[Lionel Baden]

@zero

Ahh most phones are good enough to pick up local conversation

thats what makes them so good for spying on people

[Anonymous Coward]

Smokescreen alert

Of course the phone did *not* dial 911. Rather the call was cc'd to the law enforecement authorities as a matter of course. Either all phones are set to do that, or the feature had been turned on (remotely) for the phone of somebody who was already suspect or a phone reported as stolen.

Whichever way, Somebody was listening. Somebody then tipped off the local cops.

[Anonymous Coward]

wait until...

wacky jackie hears about this!!!!!!!

Use phones to monitor terrorist activity! OF COURSE!!!! When they are in your pocket they phone up the law to hear what everyone is doing! THAT IS HOW WE ALL FIGHT TERRORZ!!!1111oneoneone

[Trevor]

one touch emergency dialing

Pressing and holding the "9" button will trigger a call to the police on some phones here in the states.

[James O'Brien]

@Smokescreen alert

All I can say to you is WOW. Are you really that insane to believe what you said?

/hands Mr. Anonymous a tin foil hat

Your gonna need it

[Dean H.]

Re: Somebody then tipped off the local cops.

>>> Whichever way, Somebody was listening. Somebody then tipped off the local cops.

I don't see how. If the phone (and perp) were located via the phone network, the cops had to be on to the call while it was in progress, not after.

[David Wilkinson]

this is great

Right up there with the guy who stole some unidentifiable electronic device only to discover it was some sort of monitoring equipment featuring GPS that gave a constant update on its precise location.

[Anomalous Cowherd]

Voice dialing?

"Aha, the police will never catch me" (dialing...)

[Jonathan Richards]

Re: Somebody then tipped off the local cops.

Dean H. wrote:

>If the phone (and perp) were located via the phone network, the cops had to be on to the call while it was in progress, not after.

No, I don't think so. While a mobile phone (cell phone) is switched on, it registers itself with surrounding cells. A call does not have to be in progress for this to be used to track the device by triangulation.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/02/mobile-phone_tracking/