New Orleans, La. - Cameras inside Cafe Du Monde show a couple of customers who seemed to be interested in more than just coffee and beignets.
"I think he just saw her cell phone on the counter. It was there and it looked tempting," says Jacques Roman.
After getting his coffee, the man leaned over the counter, grabbed the cashier's iPhone, placed it in his pocket and walked away.
"She came back and he was gone. He didn't stay for the beignets and that's when she noticed it right away," says Roman.
It's the latest iPhone theft caught on camera in the French Quarter in the past couple of days.
Around 9:00 Sunday night, a camera in the 500 block of Burgundy captured four juveniles walking down the street, while a man texting on his phone walked towards them.
"He was struck in the face, knocked to the ground, hit several times and then his iPhone was taken from him. The subjects fled on Burgundy towards Toulouse and then towards North Rampart," says NOPD Detective Michael Flores.
Detective Flores of the NOPD's 8th District says the suspects appear to be around 12 or 13 years old and the victim had to seek medical attention for his injuries.
"He was beat pretty badly. He got a couple of lacerations to his face and he did say he may have to have plastic surgery to his face," says Detective Flores.
It's one of two iPhone thefts that happened just days apart in the 500 block of Burgundy.
Detective Flores say the iPhone seems to be the cell phone of choice when thieves strike. "Maybe because some people think it's the hottest thing out there right now," says Flores.
Several other iPhone thefts recently happened in the 8th District, but not all of them were caught on camera.
Investigators say it's important for all Apple product owners to know how to use a security feature on their phone called iCloud and always have your user name and password handy in case you become a victim.
"You could back up your contacts. You can back up your calendar and back up your photographs," says Flores.
You can also track your phone with a feature in iCloud labeled "Find my iPhone." It will allow you, and the police, to locate your stolen phone and maybe even help locate the culprit.
