In the middle of the afternoon last Thursday, a quick-hit robbery at a Bronx phone shop turned violent when a hammer-wielding thief smashed a display case and walked out with seven phones, police said. The incident happened around 4:13 p.m. inside a commercial storefront at 145 West 231 Street, where an unidentified person broke the case, grabbed the devices, then struck a 29-year-old man while heading out the door before bolting on foot toward Broadway.
🚨WANTED FOR A ROBBERY: On Thursday, March 5, 2026, at approximately 4:13 P.M., an unidentified individual entered a commercial establishment located at 145 West 231 Street and broke the display case with a hammer and removed seven cellphones. The individual then struck a 29-year-old male victim as he was exiting the location. — NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 10, 2026 https://x.com/i/status/2031447616181924329
Crime Stoppers seeks help
The city's Crime Stoppers program is offering rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest in cases like this and runs both a hotline and an online tip system, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can call 1-800-577-TIPS or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA to share information without giving their name.
What the wanted post shows
A wanted notice from NYPD Crime Stoppers on X lays out the timeline of the March 5 smash-and-grab. Investigators say the suspect entered the store, shattered a display case with a hammer, scooped up seven cellphones, then hit a 29-year-old man who was exiting before running off toward Broadway. The post urges anyone who has surveillance footage, cell phone video, or eyewitness details from around West 231 Street at that time to contact detectives.
Phone thefts remain a problem in the Bronx
Detectives have been tracking a broader pattern of phone-centered robberies across the borough in recent years, including a series of moped-based snatch-and-grab incidents that spanned multiple precincts, as reported by Gothamist. That trend helps explain why police routinely ask neighbors to review doorbell cameras and saved phone videos after incidents like this one.
How to help investigators
Anyone with information about the robbery at 145 West 231 Street can submit an anonymous tip through the Crime Stoppers online portal or call 1-800-577-TIPS; Spanish-language tips can be made at 1-888-57-PISTA. Rewards of up to $3,500 may be available for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
