Police Searching For Subway 'Apple Picker'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Police are searching for a teen who they say stole an iPhone from a woman on the subway last Wednesday.
According to police, the suspect snatched a woman's iPhone out of her hand around 8:30 p.m. on June 19 on an uptown R train.
The woman struggled to hang on to her phone but the suspect was able to get it from her grip. He then fled when the train stopped at the Canal Street Station.
The woman was uninjured in the incident.
The suspect was caught on surveillance camera. He is described by police only as a black teen between the ages of 16 and 18.
This is the latest in what's been dubbed "Apple Picking" by law enforcement officials because of the large number of Apple devices targeted for theft.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
All calls are strictly confidential.
New York's Attorney General and other officials have called on the top smartphone makers to come up with a "kill switch" that would render stolen devices worthless in an effort to crack down on these robberies.
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said some recent "Apple Picking" incidents turned violent and sometimes deadly.
The NYPD launched a program last year that lets people register their devices so if they are lost or stolen, they can be traced back.
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