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Police: Trio Suspected Of Stealing Cellphones From 10 Stores In Queens

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police say three men on a robbery spree have stolen cellphones from nearly a dozen stores in Queens.

The suspects targeted 10 stores between December 15 and March 5, according to authorities.

Surveillance video from one robbery shows the men standing over a display case, pausing to look around, pulling out tools and then cutting the cellphones from their security devices.

The suspects allegedly hit all the major carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T and one Verizon store. It's unclear how many phones they got away with.

Queens-cellphone-robberies,-NYPD
Police say three men on a robbery spree have stolen cellphones from nearly a dozen stores in Queens. (Credit: NYPD)

"I honestly think it's ridiculous," Saint Albans resident Lashawn G told CBS2's Marc Liverman.

"I think that's horrible. Why don't they just go get a job like regular people," a Bayside woman named Debbie added.

One man was seen wearing a black knit cap, dark colored hooded sweater, blue jacket and dark colored pants. Another, who had glasses and a goatee, wore a black and gray baseball cap. The third man was seen wearing a beige knit cap, yellow vest and yellow hooded sweater.

"This is my neighborhood. My mother lives here, my grandmother, my sister. I worry about them," said Neil Griffith, of Saint Albans.

Anyone with information about the robbery spree is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.

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