Teen Killed While Chasing iPhone Thief

Police are asking for the public’s help tracking down a thief who stole a California teen’s iPhone last week. The young girl was killed after jumping onto the hood of a speeding car in an attempt to retrieve the device.

15-year-old Rubi Rubio of Santa Ana was walking her 7-year-old sister home from school around noon last Thursday when a thief took her iPhone and jumped into a car. Rubio briefly held on to the burglar’s car before falling off and hitting her head, said police corporal Anthony Bertagna.

“According to witnesses, the vehicle was swerving in an attempt to get her off,” Bertagna told the Orange County Register.

The teen died of her injuries while surrounded by family members in Western Medical Center Santa Ana on Saturday. Rubio’s mother, Marisol Hernandez, said she gave her daughter the phone after Rubio received good grades in her sophomore year of high school.

“She was my support all the time and she deserved it,” Hernandez told the Register. “I don’t know exactly what happened,” she said, questioning her daughter’s decision to chase the vehicle.

Superintendent of Santa Ana Unified School District Rick Miller said in a statement that grief counseling will be available for friends, family, teachers and others affected by Rubio’s death.