Friday, July 3, 2009

Email this article to a friend    Watch the video

Police searching for men behind iPhone robberies

BOSTON -- Police are searching for a gang of phone thieves.

As Boston fills up with people from all over for the big 4th of July weekend, police are the hunt for armed robbers who struck three times within 10 minutes in Boston's Back Bay.

Each time, they got away with the victim's iPhone.

The crime spree started at 8:38 p.m. Thursday in the Public Garden.

Police said a victim was walking through the Garden when four to five teenagers came up to him and demanded money a showed a gun. That is when police said the suspects stole his iPhone.

Just two minutes later at 8:40 p.m., and once again the Garden, police said another victim had his iPhone ripped from his hand. The four teenage suspects took off running.

Five minutes later, a man walking down an alley near Beacon Street said he had his iPhone taken from him. Once again, the suspects threatened the victim with a gun.

"That like takes it to a different level, I guess, it's not like just 'give me your phone.' They have weapons; that's scarier," said a local resident.

The three brazen armed robberies in less than 10 minutes has everyone on alert.

"You never really expect to be victimized that way. It's so dehumanizing and sad people would feel that they should do that," said another local resident. 

Police said no arrests have been made, but they do have some leads and are hoping for the public's help.  

(Copyright (c) 2009 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)