Thief Arrested After Answering Phone He Stole

A 20-year-old man lured a thief into police custody after his phone was stolen on a train Tuesday, the New York Post reported.

The phone’s owner chased after the thief, 57-year-old Kevin Cooper, and the owner devised a plan after he was unable to catch him, the NYP reported.

Cooper answered the stolen phone when the owner called, and he agreed to meet so the owner could take it back, according to the NYP.

When Cooper arrived at the designated meeting place around midnight, he found local police, who quickly arrested him and charged him with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal possession of a controlled substance, the NYP reported.

The police reportedly found crack cocaine and a crack pipe in the thief’s possession. His arrest record included assault, robbery, petty larceny and criminal trespass, according to the NYP.

New York City is struggling to manage rampant crime inside its subway system, including frequent stabbings, multiple attacks with hammers, random victims being thrown in front of moving trains and one individual throwing feces at others in recent weeks.

Mayor Eric Adams pledged to crack down on subway crime and to relocate the population of mentally ill homeless people living inside the subway.