Three Teens Arrested on Subway at Newkirk for iPhone Theft

Three teenage boys were arrested today after police say they tried to steal an iPhone from a plainclothes cop on a Manhattan-bound B train at Newkirk Plaza.

The NYPD reports that this afternoon at just before 4pm, the three suspects surrounded the plainclothes officer, who was carrying a backpack with the phone in one of the compartments. One of the suspects bumped into the officer and grabbed the phone. Other officers in the unit saw the crime, and arrested the boys.

The 17-year-old was charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and jostling. The two others, both 16, were charged with grand larceny and jostling.

Thefts of iPhones and other electronic devices has been on the rise recently (as we’ve seen around here), particularly on the subway. The NYPD recently reported that between January 1 and September  23, there were 11,447 incidents in which Apple products were stolen across the city (and not just on the subway). That’s an increase of 3,280 over the same period last year, or an increase of 40%.

Photo by gmpicket