By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
LOWER EAST SIDE — The Lower East Side has seen a series of cell-phone snatchings over the past month, as thieves have been targeting mostly iPhone users on the street, in subway stations and on buses, police said.
The latest crime statistics for the 7th Precinct — which covers the Lower East Side below Houston Street, from Allen Street to the East River — showed seven incidents of stolen cell phones over the most recent 28-day period, according to Deputy Inspector Nancy Barry.
Two of the thefts occurred at the East Broadway subway station at Rutgers Street, where a man allegedly attacked a woman on the F train platform in an unrelated Feb. 4 incident, police said.
One of the phone thefts occurred on a bus, Barry added, and the others with pedestrians using their devices in plain view on the street.
The deputy inspector explained that thieves will oftentimes snatch phones off unsuspecting straphangers right before the doors close on subway cars, allowing them to flee into the station while the victims remain on the train.
Barry warned cell-phone owners to always be aware of their surroundings, especially when using valuable devices like the iPhone, a popular item expected to be even more prevalent on city streets with the launch of Verizon's version of the phone hitting shelves today.
A few of the thefts occurred during the morning hours, Barry noted, and at least one happened at night on Grand Street.
The precinct has not seen a pattern to the thefts or identified any suspects as repeat offenders, meaning the incidents were likely isolated.
Regardless, Barry cautioned users to be careful when using their phones, and also reminded owners to write down their item's serial number so they may be tracked down in case of theft.
In one case in the East Village, she explained, a woman who had her iPhone stolen was able to activate the device's GPS system, leading police to the perpetrator.
"Technology is helping us make arrests," Barry noted.
The MTA referred calls on the cell phone thefts on subways and buses to the NYPD.
