Thief puts crime on hold to answer his cell phone twice

Even determined thieves can become distracted by ringing smartphones. New York City police shared surveillance footage showing a suspect stealing scratch-off lottery tickets and putting the burglary on hold to answer his phone.

The crime occurred during the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. The man gained entry into the Bronx restaurant by forcing his way under the front door of the establishment. He was wearing a head-mounted flashlight as he approached the area where the tickets are stored. While he swiftly rifled through the scratch-offs, the burglar stopped, reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He placed it to his ear for a brief moment before ending the call and getting right back to business.

However it wasn't long before his device was lighting up yet again. Instead of ignoring the incoming call, he stopped what he was doing and answered it again. After that second short conversation wrapped up, he continued swiping the tickets before fleeing the scene on foot. He managed to make off with an undisclosed number of New York state tickets.

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