NYPD Searching For Subway Cell Phone Thief

The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man wanted for two cell phone thefts last month. In both cases, women were robbed as they held their phones while sitting on the subway.

Both thefts occurred on Tuesday, April 4. The first was at around 4:30pm. A 30-year-old woman was aboard a Manhattan-bound 2 train, sitting next to the door.

As the subway doors were closing at the Parkside Avenue station, the suspect reached inside the train from the platform, snatched the woman’s cellphone out of her hands, and fled.

Later that day, around 8:15pm, a 55-year-old woman was aboard a Manhattan-bound Q train, when the doors opened at the 7th Avenue station. Again, the suspect snatched a cellphone out of the passenger’s hands and fled.

The suspect is a black male, approximately 20-years-old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing a green jacket, black jogging pants, and red sneakers.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting your tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Police say all calls are confidential.