FLATBUSH — A failed cellphone thief punched a young woman in the face after she ran him down in a Brooklyn subway station Monday afternoon and grabbed her iPhone 6 back, police said.
"That's for chasing after me," the suspect told the 20-year-old victim after socking her, according the NYPD.
The victim, who suffered minor swelling from the attack, was confronted about 4 p.m. by a man, wearing a White Sox cap, green jacket and blue jeans, who yanked the smartphone out of her hand as soon as the 5 train doors opened and took off running, police said.
The young woman chased the robber through the Flatbush Avenue-Brooklyn College station and managed to take a hold of his bag and tear it open, spilling his belongings on the floor and making him drop her phone. A passerby gave the iPhone back to the woman, the NYPD said.
After picking up his belongings, the frustrated mugger punched the victim in the face, authorities said.
The suspect, who police said was between 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 180 pounds, fled the scene, according to the police.
Authorities said anyone with information regarding the robbery should call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
