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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
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Man Steals Woman's iPhone After Giving Her Directions to Bathroom: Police

By Heather Holland | February 19, 2015 12:09pm
 Samuelle Blakely swiped a woman's cellphone after she asked for directions to a bathroom, police said.
Samuelle Blakely swiped a woman's cellphone after she asked for directions to a bathroom, police said.
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Shutterstock/Vaclav Volrab

FLATIRON — A woman's iPhone was stolen by a man she stopped on the street to ask for directions to a bathroom, the NYPD said.

The 52-year-old woman was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked car on Broadway near West 28th Street, when she stopped Samuelle Blakely, 46, and asked him about where to find a bathroom, police said.

The woman hopped out to follow the directions Blakely had given her, leaving her boyfriend in the driver's seat and her iPhone 4 in the car, police said.

When the woman returned, she found Blakely sitting inside the car next to her boyfriend, and she asked him to leave, police said.

As soon as Blakely was gone, she noticed that her phone was missing and called 911, police said. It wasn't immediately clear whose phone she used to make the call. 

Police soon found Blakely nearby, but when the officers approached, he pushed one of them, injuring her shoulder. The officer was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment, police said.

Blakely then took off north on Broadway, with police following closely behind. He was arrested at the corner of West 28th Street, and while police were searching him, the victim's iPhone fell out of his pants, police said.

Blakely was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny and resisting arrest, according to a complaint from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.

He was released and is due back in court on Feb. 23. His attorney declined to comment.