Two males arrested on suspicion of theft in north Manchester

We have arrested two males - a 16-year-old boy and a man in his 20s - on suspicion of assault and theft following an incident on Crescent Road, Manchester, on Monday 4 November 2024.

It is believed that the two suspects approached the victim, threatening him to hand over his mobile phone and earphones.  

They continued to follow him along Crescent Road before throwing him to the ground and assaulting him.  

The suspects made off with the victim’s items and headed back down Crescent Road.  

Today (Wednesday 20 November 2024), our investigations identified the two suspects who we believe are responsible for the theft, and arrested them both. They remain in police custody for questioning.  

Sergeant Matt Harrop from our north Neighbourhood Crime Team said: “Our investigation team work tirelessly behind the scenes to thoroughly investigate any incidents of phone theft and make sure the streets of Greater Manchester are a safer place to live and work. 

 “I would like to take this opportunity to warn the public to be wary of opportunists, who may be looking to commit this offence. There are some measures you can take to help prevent this type of crime happening to you while you are out and about, such as keeping your mobile phone hidden away and out of sight. 

“These types of incidents can happen very quickly with some instances taking less than a minute for the offender to approach the victim and steal the phone away. Simple things like this can reduce your chances of becoming a victim. 

“If you have any concerns about crime, you can report it by calling 101 or via LiveChat on gmp.police.uk. Always call 999 in an emergency.”