Police lead the man tracked down by Find My iPhone in Brooklyn after he snatched the phone from a woman on Liberty Avenue and 94th Street. Forum Newsgroup photo by Robert Stridiron.
Technology foiled a thief on Tuesday afternoon after police found the suspect by using a free iPhone app to locate him.
Officers from the 106 responded to a 911 call from a female stating she had been robbed of her cell phone at Liberty Avenue and 94th Street. According to witnesses, police showed up almost within seconds of the call and were able to plug the iPhone information for the victim into their own equipment.
Once details were entered, a signal from the stolen phone allowed police to track the phone to a location on Linden Boulevard and Fountain Avenue in Brooklyn.
They proceeded to the location and found the suspect as well as the stolen iPhone.
Police sources at the precinct say that this type of crime has been recurring lately and that most of the victims are females that are either getting off the train or walking along the avenue with their cell phones in plain sight, often in use when the robbers strike.
“This is a time that thieves will take advantage of,” says Community Affairs Officer Kenneth Zorn. “The opportunity presents itself when a young lady is walking along the street, perhaps calling home to say she’s off the train and walking home.” Then Zorn says is the time that thieves will pounce on their victim and take the phone. There have been a total of three such robberies very recently, one involved a gun, another the threat of one. Tuesday’s incident was listed as a strong arm robbery and there was no weapon involved. Police brought the unidentified, black male to the precinct where he was booked and charged with burglary.
The technology used by police was an app available for downloading onto a smart phone. It’s free from Apple and is called Find My iPhone.
There are similar apps available for iPads and a number of other devices that remain as favorite targets of bandits. Police ask you to be aware of your surroundings at all times because it makes it much more difficult for a burglar to take your property.
By Patricia Adams
