Westchester Cop Doesn’t ‘Phone It In’ — Busts Bee-Line iPhone Thief

WHITE PLAINS, NY (January 18, 2026) — A New Year’s Eve report of a lost iPhone on a Bee-Line Route 21 bus led to a felony arrest after a Westchester County Police Surface Transportation Unit officer reviewed security video and tracked down the suspect.

The rider initially reported losing her iPhone aboard the bus on Dec. 31. After determining the phone had not been turned in, the officer visited the Liberty Lines bus garage in Yonkers and reviewed security camera footage.

The video showed the woman on the bus with her phone next to her, lodged between her seat and the wall. It later captured a man moving to the vacant seat behind her, reaching in to grab the phone, slipping it into his pocket unnoticed and exiting at the White Plains Transportation Center.

The footage revealed the woman had not lost the phone — it had been stolen during her ride.

Clothing visible in the video — including a distinctive jacket, pants, sneakers and backpack — provided clues to a possible employer. The officer visited the potential workplace and reviewed its security video, which showed a man arriving for work on Dec. 31 wearing the same clothing. The suspect was tentatively identified as an outside contractor, not an employee.

The investigation continued in the Bronx, where the suspect’s employer confirmed his identity.

On Monday, two members of the Westchester County Police Surface Transportation Unit observed the suspect — wearing the same sneakers and backpack — getting off a Bee-Line bus at the White Plains Transportation Center. He was detained for investigation and charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a felony.

Arrangements are being made to return the phone to the victim.

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.