Alert Police Work Leads to Arrest of Theft Suspect

Alert police work led to the arrest of Teerick Thomas, 25, who is accused of using an intoxicated man's cell phone to access the victim's Cash App digital wallet, transferring $1,200 out of the victim's account.

Just after 3 a.m. Wednesday, Central Precinct officers conducting extra patrols saw Thomas with the victim at the intersection of 3rd Avenue South and Broadway, an area where individuals have been known to approach victims in order to coerce them into withdrawing or transferring money.

When officers spoke to the 31-year-old victim, who was visiting from Scottsdale, Arizona, he said he met Thomas at a bar. When they left the bar, Thomas repeatedly asked the victim for his phone. He reluctantly gave it to him. Thomas said he was going to call a friend but instead allegedly transferred $1,200 from the victim's account into another person's account. He reported that Thomas then told him to withdraw $300 from an ATM but police intervention prevented that withdrawal.

Thomas is charged with felony theft and is jailed on $7,500 bond.