ELMHURST — Heads up, Queens iPhone users.
The 110th precinct, which covers Corona and Elmhurst, has been hit with a "sharp increase" in phone thefts — with more than 20 iPhones having been reported swiped from unsuspecting victims in the first six months of this year alone.
Grand larceny has jumped 13.3 percent in the precinct in the last year — from 210 cases reported last year to 238 this year, NYPD statistics reveal.
Many of the thefts reported were of iPhones, which "kids" were taking because of their "cool factor," according to Capt. Mark Wachter, of the 110th Precinct.
“You’re talking on the phone or texting, and someone just comes by from behind and swipes it,” he said.
Calling the trend a “big problem” in the area, Wachter urged residents to be more careful with their phones.
“It’s a problem not just in the 110 [precinct] but across the city,” he said.
According to Wachter, the thieves were targeting unsuspecting victims in different areas — including around the Queens Center Mall, Queens Boulevard and the subway stations.
But it’s not just iPhones that are being swiped in the area, according to the cops.
Wachter also urged residents to be careful while they shop, and not to stow their shopping goodies in plain view. “You’ll be surprised at the amount of stuff people leave in their cars,” he said.
