Alleged Migrant Perpetrators Reportedly Stole Phones from 62 Women in NYC Crime Spree

A group of individuals, alleged to be migrants, were apprehended in the Bronx during the early hours of Monday for a series of criminal activities across New York City, which notably involved snatching phones from women, the police revealed.

Acting on a search warrant, the New York Police Department conducted an operation at a suspected hideout, leading to the arrests of seven individuals. The apprehended suspects are anticipated to face charges related to numerous robberies and grand larcenies, with ongoing efforts to locate additional individuals involved.

Authorities have indicated that all suspects are believed to originate from Venezuela. According to law enforcement officials, these men have been connected to a string of incidents amounting to at least 62 cases where women had their belongings, including phones, grabbed from them. The modus operandi involved the suspects swiftly approaching their victims, primarily women walking alone, seizing their phones or purses, and making a swift escape.

Investigators suspect that the motive behind the phone thefts was to exploit features like Apple Pay, utilizing credit cards associated with the stolen phones to make purchases within the United States or Central America. Subsequently, the phones were reportedly dispatched to Colombia, where they were wiped clean, as per police statements. In response to these developments, NYPD Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry emphasized on social media the city's commitment to apprehend those engaging in criminal activities, underlining the substantial progress made in addressing this significant robbery pattern.

These arrests mark the second notable instance involving individuals identified as migrants within the city in recent weeks. Last week, a group of asylum-seekers was arrested for assaulting police officers in Times Square, an incident that was captured on video. Authorities continue to seek additional suspects associated with the attack.

Migrants On A 62 Robbery Crime Spree Early In NYC

Furthermore, law enforcement agencies, in collaboration with the Manhattan district attorney's office, are investigating whether four previously released defendants, who were not held on bail, traveled to California under false identities following their release.