Thief has been stealing cellphones from restaurant patrons in fashionable Chicago districts
Chicago police last week issued an alert about two instances of thieves swiping people's cellphones from tables at restaurants in fashionable areas.
Police said in both incidents, the thief walked into a restaurant and approached someone sitting with their cellphone on the table.
Each time, the thief dropped something on the floor to distract the victim, put a bag on the table covering the victim's cellphone, mumbled to the victim, picked up the item from the floor, and took the bag along with the victim's cellphone.
In one case, the thief got away with stolen credit cards stored in the victim's phone case and tried to use the cards at a department store.
The first theft happened at 7:20 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, in the 200 block of North Green Street in the Fulton Market District. The second happened between 2:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, in the 100 block of West Illinois Street in River North.
Police did not name the specific restaurants where the thefts happened.
Police said the thief was wearing a skullcap and a black hooded sweat shirt.
Anyone with information should call Belmont Area detectives at 312-744-8263 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and use reference # P26-3-003.