[jordanb]

This is my thought too.

Whenever I see one of these "crazy ways criminals give themselves away" stories I'm now thinking I'm probably looking at a parallel construction.

During the Floyd protests a woman was recorded on camera in Chicago destroying a police car. A week or so later the police arrested her and claimed an improbable series of gumshoeing around the tee-shirt she had on, figuring out where it was purchased and subpoena sales records then doing a lot of cross referencing.

Far more plausible to me is they pulled cellphone location data.

[euroderf]

I've always assumed that this is how a lot of "anonymous tips to the police" work. Illegal dragnet wiretaps plus the OK of a drone functionary boss, and hey presto! the coppers are clued in.

[zaphirplane]

Would getting it from the carrier be hurdle