By Serena Solomon and Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporters/Producers
UPPER WEST SIDE — A pair of teens who snatched an iPhone from a Starbucks on Columbus Avenue were chased down by two good Samaritans until police arrived.
Two teenage boys, aged 14 and 15, allegedly swiped the phone from customer Jini Rooney, 36, and took off, the New York Post reported. Rooney gave chase.
"I was determined to run him down," she said. "I sized him up and knew I could get him."
A passerby heard her cries for help as she chased the teens through traffic, the Post said, and tackled one of the teens. Another Samaritan removed the teen's shoes so he couldn't get away, the Post reported.
The other fleeing teen sought refuge inside Gotham Gardens floral shop at 325 Amsterdam Ave., where he holed up inside a bathroom until police arrived to pull him out.
“He was in there for quite awhile,” said Ross Rosado, a Gotham Gardens employee. He said the teen flushed the toilet multiple times and may have tried to escape out the bathroom window.
"There were about 25 cops in here for a little teenage boy," added Michelle, another employee of the floral shop.
She said four police cruisers arrived at the scene, shutting down a portion of the avenue to search for the suspects.
Police apprehended the other teen nearby, and both have been charged with robbery, police said. Because of their ages, their names were not released.
Later Thursday, a patron at the Starbucks where the incident began said he would be more careful with his belongings.
"I get a little lazy with my goods,” said Robert, who did not provide his last name. “This will keep me sharp."
