Masturbating Man Steals Phone From LES Woman, Police Say

LOWER EAST SIDE, NY — A man followed a woman home and then masturbated in front of her before stealing her cell phone early Friday morning, according to police.

Police say that an unidentified followed a 27-year-old woman into her Lower East Side apartment building as she walked through the door on Friday at about 2:10 a.m. As he was walking up the stairs, the man turned around and began to masturbate in front of the woman, police said in a statement. When the woman pulled our her iPhone to begin filming the man, he pushed her and grabbed the phone from her hand, according to authorities. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The man, who police believe is about 30 years old, ran from the apartment building. Police released photos taken from a surveillance camera near Broome and Ludlow streets and are asking for the public's help identifying him.

Lead image via Shutterstock.