Bicycle-Riding Thieves Snatch Cell Phones Across Sheepshead, Brighton Beach

SOUTHERN BROOKLYN – Preying on women and children, a duo of cell phone-snatching bicyclists blazed a trail of robberies through Sheepshead Bay and Brighton Beach late last month.

Police said they identified a pattern of five robberies over the course of a week where two men on bicycles stole phones out of the hands of women on the street in Southern Brooklyn.

On Wednesday, September 20, a 45-year old woman had her phone stolen from her purse by a thief on a bicycle outside 2547 East 12 Street, said police.

On Thursday, September 21, a 12-year old boy had a phone taken from his hands around 3:50 pm near Ocean and Emmons Avenues. The thieves struck again later that evening, at about 5:20 pm, stealing a phone from the hands of 37-year old woman on Brighton 13th Street and Corbin Place, said police.

A few days later, at 7:45 on Sunday, September 24, the thieves continued, robbing a 56-year old woman of her phone near Brighton 12th Street and Brighton Beach Avenue, said police.

Finally, on Tuesday, September 26, a 57-year old female had a phone stolen from her hands at noon outside 3161 Brighton 6th Street, said police.

In all the cases, the suspects were riding bicycles. They can be seen in surveillance video and in photos below:

Police described the first individual as a black man, 20 to 30 years old, with an afro, last seen wearing a red shirt, orange shorts and red sneakers.

The second individual is described as a black man, 20 to 30 years old, with black hair and blond highlights, last seen wearing a white du-rag, dark shorts and black and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.