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Cops Arrest Two Men Who Robbed Sleeping Subway Passenger
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2012
Modified Aug 12, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 12, 2012
Modified Aug 12, 2012
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Police say that two men were caught in the act of stealing an iPhone from a sleeping passenger—thanks to two plainclothes cops, assigned to the Transit Boro Manhattan Task Force, who were on patrol yesterday morning when they spotted some odd activity at the Brooklyn Bridge subway platform.
According to police, Sgt. Raymond Sanchez, Police Officer Carmelo Rivera and Police Officer Joseph Marcello were at the Brooklyn Bridge 4/5/6 subway platform in Manhattan when they spotted "two males walking in and out of subway cars and not boarding several departing trains. The males were then observed by the officers approach a sleeping passenger, on a bench, on the southbound platform. Suspect #1 then sat next to the passenger tapping him several times to check his state of sleep as suspect #2 acted as a lookout. After ten minutes and the platform emptying out of other passengers on a departing train, suspect #1 removed an iPhone from the unaware passenger."
The police arrested the two suspects— Antonio Fulton, 24, and Kevin Alexander, 50—without incident and let the sleeping victim know what happened. The pair were charged with grand larceny. Police also found two other phones, an iPhone and a Galaxy, on Fulton and apparently they didn't belong to him; the police are investigating who may own the phones and may purse further charges.
iPhone and smartphone thefts have been on the rise in the subway system. Although good Samaritans are trying to stop thieves, cops have had to deploy "underground marshals" to stem the thefts.
Tagged
arrest
brooklyn bridge
crime
iphone
iphone theft
smartphone
subway
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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