It’s a must-have item, even for thieves.
A 17-year-old was apprehended in Whitestone Sunday only 30 minutes after stealing a trendy self-balancing electric scooter, according to authorities.
Edward Diee, 17, first encountered the victim — another minor whose name and age were not released by police — riding the scooter on the 147th block of 15th Drive at 8:30 p.m.
Police said Diee initially approached the victim and began speaking to him, asking a number of questions before finally hitting him, shoving him to the ground and taking the scooter.
The victim’s family quickly called 911 to notify police of the incident, and the suspect was found less than 30 minutes later by patrol cars cruising the area.
After being positively identified, Diee was arrested and charged with one count of robbery in the second degree.
Self-balancing electric scooters are popularly known as “hoverboards” despite not actually levitating off the ground, and consist of a foot rest between two wheels which propel themselves forward without any effort from the user.
Wired.com reports that boards can cost between $600 to $1,800 each and that celebrities such as Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber and Chris Brown have all been seen using them.
