“What would you do if you had Steve Jobs’ iPad? Kenny the Clown, who had the late Apple co-founder’s tablet all to himself for a few days this month, didn’t play any games, surf the net or check for any top-secret corporate documents,” Mike Rosenberg reports for The San Jose Mercury News.
“Instead, he loaded iTunes to play the ‘Pink Panther’ theme song and Michael Jackson, using the magical device to entertain Bay Area kids and tourists during his clown routine,” Rosenberg reports. “He had no idea the device came from the fabled Jobs residence until after the friend who gave him the gadget was charged with breaking into the CEO’s Palo Alto home. By then, the cops had already shown up at his door and taken it away. ‘It would be like getting a football from Joe Montana that was stolen out of his house,’ said the 47-year-old professional clown, whose real name is Kenneth Kahn. ‘It’s bizarre; it’s really bizarre.'”
“Police said Kariem McFarlin, a 35-year-old Alameda resident, gave Kahn a silver 64GB iPad that was stolen out of the Waverley Street home on July 17. McFarlin also allegedly gave another iPad to his daughter, and both devices were returned to the Jobs family after McFarlin was arrested on Aug. 2, police said,” Rosenberg reports. “McFarlin is accused of stealing iPods, Macs, Tiffany & Co. Jewelry, and even Jobs’ wallet and driver’s license.”
Rosenberg reports, “McFarlin, who police say confessed to the crime, remained in jail Thursday in lieu of $500,000 bail. Apple and the Jobs family have declined to comment. ‘It still hasn’t really 100 percent set in for me. It was Steve Jobs’ iPad — literally,” Kahn said. “If this thing weren’t so tragic, it would be comical.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Would have been funny if Ballmer T. Clown was found with it instead.
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Burglar who swiped Steve Jobs’ wallet, Macs, iOS devices quickly traced after powering up iPad – August 15, 2012
Steve Jobs’ Palo Alto home burglarized; More than $60,000 worth of ‘computers and personal items’ stolen – August 14, 2012
Steve Jobs’s Palo Alto Home undergoes extensive renovation, Laurene Powell Jobs buys Sun Valley home – July 12, 2012
This is a really sad story all around.
Sad? What about the happy ending?
The family got their belongings back and the perp is behind bars.
That is a win-win.
the clown was using it to entertain kids tho…. Meh. KINDA sad
And people say Steve Jobs wasn’t into philanthropy! pfft! The man is entertaining children from beyond the grave!
iCommentsI won’t be surprised if someone gives that clown a free, legitimate iPad after this.
Hahahaha – Steve is having a good laugh
I disagree. I think it’s a sad story all around.
The family didn’t get everything back. It’s pretty sad in terms of what they were going through already, and then to have their home invaded, and all the details of everything made public (especially considering how much they value their privacy).
The Kenny the Clown apparently had no idea and had to go through this ordeal.
And it’s even sad for the criminal. I’m not excusing what he did, or saying he shouldn’t go to jail, but it’s sad someone who graduated from college, couldn’t find a job, and was living out of their car for as long as he was, turned to crime.
As a local resident, this event has had a negative impact on the area. Besides residents not feeling safe, it’s increasing the aggressiveness of the police, adding further strain to Palo Alto / East Palo Alto relations.
Yes, I know that the thief was from Alameda, but there are a lot of people from East Palo Alto who come into Palo Alto for work, shopping, etc… and the police in Palo Alto are now cracking down on those who “look like they don’t belong here”, which then leads to other problems.
Nothing is good at all in any of this.
It is sad all around, mredofcourse. In my opinion, it is sad primarily for the Jobs family, whose privacy and security was violated by this act of breaking and entering and felony theft. Even if all of the stolen items are eventually returned to them, no one can ever return their peace of mind. That’s what it means to be a victim.
I am not so worried about Kenny the Clown. He should have suspected something when he received a high-end iPad from an unemployed “friend.” Some things should make you go “hmmm?”
From what college did this criminal, Kariem McFarlin, get his diploma? Someone ought to investigate that university’s credentials because they gave a diploma to an idiot. If you are going to steal, don’t rob the home of a celebrity. The police look after celebrities like family. And don’t steal electronics that can be tracked. Quite a few “find my iPhone” and “find my iPad” stories have been publicized in recent years. If you are going to do a job, at least try to do it right.
I am so glad that most criminals are sloppy and not too bright in pursuing their illegal activities. That makes them relatively easy to catch. The smart criminals are the ones that you need to worry about. Some of them have even acquired legitimate titles like CEO and CFO to cover their thefts.
Must have been a hand me down from Browett the Klown.
Interesting that a clown finds this comical.
No, he didn’t find it comical, read the quote: ‘It still hasn’t really 100 percent set in for me. It was Steve Jobs’ iPad — literally,” Kahn said. “If this thing weren’t so tragic, it would be comical.’”
You can’t make this stuff up. Truth truly is stranger than fiction.
What McFarlin did was essentially the same as what Google, Samsung and other Apple competitors have been doing, just on a smaller scale.
ahhh… But he goes to jail, the others just got rich … The moral: in America, steal big!!! Ask the Banks, Wall Street Corporations, Politicians…..
Wait a minute. Didn’t the guy use the excuse that he had fallen on hard times and was desperate?
Yeah, his story is getting more ridiculous each day. First, he used white gloves to try and cover up his crime. Then he gave the stolen good away? Doesn’t sound like the acts of a desperate person to me.
Desperate but still willing to help out those less fortunate by handing down his stolen loot so a clown can entertain children.
This guy is a thief with a big heart 😉 lol (I’m kidding btw)
“MacDailyNews Take: Would have been funny if Ballmer T. Clown was found with it instead.”
He wouldn’t know what to do with it.
Sure he would! There would have been a ‘special event’ two days later with Ballmer showing off the revamped Microsoft Surface… No shipping date… the boys in the lab are still sorting it out. haha
He won’t even allow Apple products anywhere in his house. Burns his eyes looking at them. Probably would take him 2 days and a friend to tell him what it is he had.
Ballmer would first attach a keyboard, then a mouse, then hook up a stylus. And then he’d think, “Hmmm. Needs a prop-up thingy. Something like a kickstand …”
If I was to burgle items from the former Mr. Jobs the first thing I would do is rent a storage locker and not touch the items until the statute of limitations ran out. Then straight to eBay.
note to self: do not put out the good silverware when patranus comes over for dinner.
And if I were a prosecutor, I would charge you with:
1) Concealing stolen goods.
2) Selling stolen goods.
The limitations run out on theft in 4 years, but the limitation on the concealment doesn’t run out as long as they’re still being concealed. So in 10 years if you’ve still got them in that locker, you can be busted.
Likewise, the selling stolen goods is a charge for the act that occurs at the time of selling the items.
Nice one MDN.