Serial subway phone thief on the loose in Queens

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Cops in Queens are trying to track down a thief who stole pricey cellphones from subway riders in April and May. In each heist, the F train bandit snatched the phone right out of his victim's hands just as the train's doors opened and then took off.

He struck once on April 18, 2018, at about 1 p.m. when a Manhattan-bound F train pulled into the Briarwood Station, police said. He grabbed a $900 phone out of a man's hand and ran off the train.

Two days later, the phone pilferer snatched am $800 phone from a woman when a train stopped at Parsons Boulevard Station, the NYPD said.

Cops believe the same guy pulled off two snatches on the same day, May 1, about two hours apart. He stole a $900 phone from a woman's hands at 169th Street Station and ran away. Then he pulled a $900 phone from a man's grasp when the train pulled into Parsons Boulevard.

The NYPD released security camera images of the man they believe stole the phones. A video shows him charging through the turnstiles and then up the station's stairs in the second theft that happened on May 1. The images are grainy, but police describe the suspect as black, in his 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches, and 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, black knapsack, and blue jeans.

If you have any information, contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers 800-577-TIPS (8477) or WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM.