mpantone said:

AppleInsider said:

Roberts flew a DJI Phantom 4 Pro over the campus, eventually discovering the crashed drone wedged in between rooftop solar panels. The craft appears to have been mostly intact, and its owner notified Apple about the incident. So far there's been no sign of a response, which may make the property's return unlikely.

Apple could potentially crack down on pilots, since a future crash might damage equipment or hit someone walking in the campus courtyard.

AppleInsider's editorial staff has a dreadfully short memory.

if Apple does not return the property to the rightful owner, Apple would be in violation of the California law that stipulates that a reasonable attempt to return the property if the owner can be identified. 

California Code, Penal Code - PEN § 485

"One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft."

This is the same state law that got Brian Hogan of Redwood City (the finder of a prototype iPhone 4 erroneously left behind in a beer garden) in very hot water and eventually led to the sacking of one of Gizmodo's editorial staffers. Hogan's actions were very dishonest as he did not attempt to do the right thing and turn the phone over to the bar owners; he took the phone home with him.

My guess is that Hogan's legal fees were far more than a $5000 that Gizmodo paid him for the device.

"Finders, keepers" is not a valid legal defense in California and Apple would be hypocrites as well as thieves if they do not return the drone.

The simplest explanation why Apple has not returned the drone to its owner is because it's a three day holiday weekend and no one wants to wreck their weekend plans with this silly nonsense right now. They can make the drone owner worry about it over the long weekend. It's not a lost baby or stray dog.

California law is hazy about deliberate takedowns of drones. Most of California's drone regulations have to do with invasion of privacy, not about property damage or personal injury.

One option Apple does have is to encourage the appropriate authorities to file charges against the drone operator for violating federal airspace regulations, most likely a federal felony.

Of course, Apple could return the drone to its owner along with a bill for solar panel repair.