EAST HARLEM — Police caught two teenagers who mugged a younger boy of his cellphone and headphones by tracing them with an iPhone tracker app, according to the NYPD.
The 14-year-old victim was put in a chokehold by a 16-year-old and 17-year-old who stole a smartphone and Beats headphones in front of 2205 Third Ave. on Sunday afternoon, police said.
Soon after the robbery, the victim flagged a police officer who used the “Find My iPhone” app to track the teens down a couple of blocks away to Third Avenue and 118th Street, according to the NYPD.
When an officer stopped the suspects, they noticed the stolen phone’s case on the ground by one of their feet. Both were arrested after the victim identified them.
Police found the stolen smartphone stashed on top of a phone booth about six feet away.
The two teens, whose names were not released, were also arrested for their involvement in a robbery earlier in the week, according to police.
On Jan. 14, they were part of a group of four teenagers who stole food from a deliveryman making a drop off at an apartment building near Marcus Garvey Park on 120th Street.
The group surrounded the 44-year-old man and demanded the food. The man didn’t want to fight and handed it to them, police said.
