The subway is a prime place for phone theft. Snatch, grab, run. Whether you’re getting on or getting off, you’ll make a quick escape from your target. It doesn’t always work, though. The NYPD managed to catch someone who tried exactly that trick by using Find My iPhone and following along on the ground in a righteous chase.
According to the New York Times, the theft happened on April 15 at Main Street in Flushing, Queens. Some punk kid in a yellow hoodie snatched a phone out of a poor woman’s hand and made off with it. Fortunately, the woman was able to find nearby NYPD officer with an iPhone of his own, and quickly tried to track the phone with Find My iPhone. And our numbskull thief hadn’t turned his prize off. After a brief stop-and-start, the officer realised the thief was on the train.
Luckily for the victim, the seven line runs above-ground in Queens, and the police trailed the snatcher by following the tracks in a cruiser. And with a little help from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the police were able to corner the culprit.
Phone theft is bad in NYC, so bad that the NYPD has an iTheft division. Though this may not be the typical outcome for a story like this, it sure is great to hear a little miscreant got what was coming to him. But chances are that if you get your phone stolen, you won’t be as lucky. So hold on tight. [The New York Times]