Police are searching for a man who snatched cellphones from passengers at subway stations in Briarwood and Jamaica.
The perpetrator has been linked to four incidents in three weeks, according to law enforcement sources. The details of each incident are as follows:
- On April 18 at around 1 p.m., a 19-year-old male victim was aboard a southbound F train in the vicinity of Van Wyck Boulevard and Briarwood Station. When the train stopped and the doors opened, the perpetrator grabbed the phone out of the victim’s hands and fled the station in an unknown direction.
- On April 20 at 5:30 p.m., a 31-year-old female victim was riding a southbound F train. When the train stopped at the Parsons Boulevard station, the suspect snatched the victim’s phone from her hands and fled the station.
- On May 1 at around 10:30 a.m., a 43-year-old female victim was riding a northbound F train in the vicinity of the 169th Street station. When the train stopped, the perpetrator grabbed the victim’s cellphone and fled the station.
- On May 1 at 12:20 p.m., a 35-year-old male victim was riding a southbound F train. When the train stopped at the Parsons Boulevard station, the suspect snatched the victim’s phone and fled the station.
No injuries were reported in any of the incidents. Each phone was estimated to be worth $800 to $900.
The incidents were reported to the 107th Precinct.
The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s, 5 foot 10 inches and 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black backpack and blue jeans.
Surveillance video of the suspect can be seen below.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
