Woman finds missing plane baggage in homeless encampment

By IE Staff

First Published: 7:26 AM PDT, June 23, 2024

A woman who lost her luggage found it at a homeless encampment after spotting an Airtag lying there.

Aunny Grace says after traveling abroad for a month, she landed in Dallas, found her suitcase among other bags and checked it in for her connecting flight.

“A day goes by, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, four days go by and my bag is still nowhere to be found,” says Grace.

Grace had placed an AirTag in her suitcase to track her flight to Hollywood Burbank Airport in California.

“My bag went from Dallas to Denver, from Denver to Dallas, then from Dallas, finally it reached Burbank,” Grace says.

His AirTag showed his suitcase was moving from Hollywood Burbank Airport. She followed the path and found her items eight miles away, in a homeless encampment.

“I found a Target shopping cart being pushed by a homeless person with my toiletry bag and parts of my luggage,” Grace says. “I was crying hysterically asking this homeless guy, 'Where did you find that thing? Where did you find it? Where's the suitcase?'”

The man told him he bought it from a stranger in a van.

Kevin Coffeya retired Los Angeles police detective, warns that thieves often target suitcases left at airports.

“I have personally investigated cases where homeless people came to collect their luggage, collected their luggage, then went to the bathroom with the luggage, and then just took and wore the clothes,” Coffey told Inside Edition .

He recommends putting valuables in a carry-on bag, because you can't be sure where your luggage is going.

“We have to start checking bags like we'll never see them again and I know that sounds harsh,” the former detective says.

American Airlines says it makes every effort to ensure that baggage arrives at its destination on time in its original condition. They also say they apologized to Grace and offered her $1,000. Grace says it's not enough.

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