Tops Employee's iPhone Stolen and Smashed Outside Store by Hostile Shopper

Niagara Falls Police responded to Tops on Portage Road around 9pm on May 24th for reports of an unwanted person that would later be changed to criminal mischief.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with an employee of Tops who works as a security guard. He reported that on today’s date at approx. 6:40pm the male suspect walked into Tops and approached him.

The guard stated that the male suspect was being hostile and argumentative towards him. When he told the suspect to leave, he backed away and grabbed an employee’s iPhone and continued to walk out of the store.

The guard told police he then attempted to stop the suspect in the vestibule area to retrieve the employee’s phone back. He was unable to do so and after the suspect made it out of the store he threw the phone causing it to shatter.

Officers then spoke with the employee whose phone was smashed. The employee, who was working the easy scan checkout kiosks, witnessed the entire incident. He told police that his phone was left on the counter while attending to customers, which is what allowed the suspect to grab it.

The value of the phone is approximately $300.

Officers then located the suspect on the 1300 block of Pine Avenue. He was detained without incident and transported back to Tops for a show up.

He was positively identified and placed into custody. Officers transported him to police headquarters for booking and processing.

No further information is available at this time.

Tops Employee's iPhone Stolen and Smashed Outside Store by Hostile Shopper