Con Artist Uses Hug To Pickpocket Woman At East Village Bar: NYPD

EAST VILLAGE, NY — A con artist cozied up to a woman at an East Village bar and lifted her cell phone when the pair hugged goodbye, police said.

The 27-year-old victim was having drinks at La Linea at 15 First Avenue on Dec. 1 when another bar-goer struck up a conversation. When the women parted ways hours later at 2 a.m., the pair hugged goodbye and the sticky-fingered woman swiped the victim's cell phone from her jacket pocket, a police spokesman said.

Before the victim even realized what had happened the woman had already fled in a taxi.

Police describe the woman as in her 20s with black hair and was last seen wearing a pink sweater and black pants.

Anyone with information in regard to 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).

Photo courtesy of NYPD