In a shocking incident last week on a Queens subway platform, a man snatched a woman’s cell phone and brandished a knife at her, as reported by the police. The unsettling event unfolded at the 179th Street F line southbound platform in Jamaica around 7:50 p.m. on June 4.
The chaotic sequence began when the 33-year-old woman inadvertently dropped her phone. Seizing the opportunity, the suspect quickly picked it up and made a hasty exit from the station, prompting the victim to pursue him.
Determined to retrieve her phone, the woman managed to catch up with the suspect outside the station. However, the confrontation took a frightening turn as the man pulled out a knife and menaced her with it. In a puzzling twist, he then tossed the phone onto the street before fleeing the scene.
Fortunately, the woman was able to recover her phone as the suspect disappeared into the night. In an effort to identify and apprehend the individual, police have released surveillance footage capturing the suspect as he loitered in the subway station prior to the incident.
The suspect ran off as the woman scooped up her phone.

Police released surveillance footage of the suspect Saturday night showing him lurking in the subway station.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at or on X @NYPDTips.