Boston police are warning downtown residents, workers and commuters after a spike in cell phone robberies led to two arrests this week, one at South Station and another near Washington and Summer streets, officials said Tuesday.
In a Facebook post the department identified Dae-Quan Jatae Davis as one of the suspects and said officers recovered a phone matching a victim’s description from his possession. Police say Davis was arrested on the commuter-rail platform at South Station, transported to Nashua Street Jail and is being charged out of Boston Municipal Court with unarmed robbery. The second suspect, a juvenile, is being charged out of Boston Juvenile Court, according to a post by the Boston Police Department on Facebook.
How Thieves Are Exploiting Stolen Phones
Police say stolen phones are being used to quickly fuel financial crimes, from unauthorized mobile payments to opening credit in victims’ names and making bank withdrawals. That pattern tracks with earlier Boston Police community alerts that warn suspects often zero in on devices after nights out or on transit, using tactics like asking to borrow a phone or “shoulder surfing” to capture passcodes.
According to a Boston Police Department community alert, thieves have exploited Apple Pay and other payment apps to move money fast, and the department has posted guidance on steps people can take to reduce the risk of being hit. Boston Police Department.
Where The Arrests Happened And What Led To Them
The department’s Facebook post details three downtown incidents this week. Police say an assault and robbery took place outside a tavern on the 250 block of Tremont Street between midnight and 1:30 a.m. on July 19. The next day, officers responded to a reported larceny at a Summer Street business near South Station at about 2:28 p.m. on July 20.
Later that morning, at about 10:14 a.m. on July 20, officers were called to a business in the 600 block of Washington Street for a reported robbery, which led to the detention of the juvenile suspect, according to the post.
Police say the phone stolen during the Tremont Street attack was later used to make unauthorized mobile payments, open a credit account in the victim’s name and make withdrawals. The amount of money taken was not disclosed in the post.
The department urged anyone with information on these incidents to contact District A‑1 detectives at (617) 343‑4571 or submit an anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers at 1‑800‑494‑8477, by text (text TIP to 27463) or online, according to a post by the Boston Police Department on Facebook.
How To Protect Your Device
Officials recommend keeping phones physically secured, using strong passcodes or biometrics, enabling “Find My” features and turning on multi-factor authentication for banking and payment apps.
The department’s advice lines up with earlier reporting on similar downtown thefts, which highlighted how nightlife crowds and transit hubs can create easy opportunities for thieves and underscored the same set of precautions.
Legal Status
Dae-Quan Jatae Davis is being charged out of Boston Municipal Court with unarmed robbery and the juvenile suspect is being charged out of Boston Juvenile Court, per police. Court dates were not listed in the post, and prosecutors and detectives say investigations in these incidents remain active.
Police asked residents and visitors to stay alert in busy commercial and transit areas and to report suspicious behavior or evidence. Video or photos that could help investigators can be submitted anonymously through the department’s CrimeStoppers portal, officials noted.
