Man Tracks Down Stolen Laptop, Helps Teen Found Using It

[Hum]

BOSTON (CBS) ? A Boston computer graphics designer is turning his own hard luck into someone else?s good luck.

It began when someone broke into Fran Harrington?s Jamaica Plain apartment and stole his Macbook Pro. It was the third computer he?s had stolen. But what the thief didn?t know, is that this time Harrington had installed security software that allows him to spy on people using his computer.

Sure enough, he could see a teenager browsing cartoons on it. ?I watched for about four days. I was giving information to police, and the whole time he didn?t know this was going on at all, that I could see what he was doing.?

The software even provides a map with a rough location of where the computer is. Police finally tracked it down in the South End?s Cathedral Public Housing Complex. ?I found out it was bought by a family living in the projects, and that they had no idea they were buying a stolen computer,? he says.

The family told police they bought it for their son who was headed to college. ?I went from a high to a low pretty quickly,? he says. ?I felt bad for the family.?

Harrington turned back to his computer, to a site that raises money for worthy causes. To his surprise, his online friends donated a total of $900.00 in three days. He?s using the money to buy a new computer to give to the family who had his stolen computer. ?I just felt that I should help them out,? he says.

With that, anger turns to generosity. Make no mistake though, Harrington still hopes the real thief will get caught.

source

[jerzdawg]

The software even provides a map with a rough location of where the computer is. Police finally tracked it down in the South End?s Cathedral Public Housing Complex. ?I found out it was bought by a family living in the projects, and that they had no idea they were buying a stolen computer,? he says.

source

right, they just thought they were getting a really good deal on a laptop from some guy on the street. Ignorance should not be rewarded.

[*RedBull*]

reminds of when my motorcyle was stolen and a young adult male was found riding it a few towns over. He said in court that his mother got it for him. She was there to back up the story. I felt so bad, they had spent their hard cash for a cool ride just to find it was stolen. Well after discovering that the mother might also go to jail the truth came out, he stole it from my apartment building. :pinch:

[HawkMan]

right, they just thought they were getting a really good deal on a laptop from some guy on the street. Ignorance should not be rewarded.

You don't know the circumstances in which they bought it or what they paid for it, yet you feel like you can judge them.

[Growled Member]

It began when someone broke into Fran Harrington?s Jamaica Plain apartment and stole his Macbook Pro. It was the third computer he?s had stolen.

Looks like he needs some security in his apartment.

[Hum]

^ :shifty:

[Detection]

How are they sure that the family 'bought' it, and did not actually steal it and just say that ?

[jerzdawg]

You don't know the circumstances in which they bought it or what they paid for it, yet you feel like you can judge them.

Feel free to give me a "circumstance" that would have lead them to believe it was a legitimate purchase. And I'm certainly not judging them, I'm sure I have purchased a few things "off the back of a truck" but I knew the risks.