Police were given a pretty good clue in the case of a Bay Area stolen cellphone: a smiling woman’s selfie that turned up on the victim’s cloud storage a few days later.
The victim is a 15-year-old high school student who told police that she recognized the woman – as it was the same woman who had attacked her and taken her phone a few days earlier. Via LA Times:
The robbery occurred about noon on Nov. 5 as the victim walked on Central Avenue in El Cerrito, a Bay Area city wedged between Richmond and Berkeley. A vehicle pulled up beside the girl and a woman got out and confronted her, police said.
The women demanded the girl’s cellphone and backpack, police said. After the girl refused, the woman punched her in the head, knocking her unconscious, took the phone and backpack and got back into the car and drove away, police said.
The girl went to the hospital for treatment and was later taken to an area hospital for medical treatment. A few days later, photos began to appear in the cloud. Police released a few of the images in order to track down the woman.
Police believe the attack and robbery was random and there have not been any similar robberies. Anyone who has information about the robbery or the woman in the photos can call the police department at (510) 215-4400.
