According the the crime report in the Commercial Appeal today, a man is in jail on felony extortion charges. A woman had a phone stolen out of her purse about 8:15 last night. When she called her phone from another phone, she was told she’d need to pay $200 to get it back. She met Justin Cathey, whose mug shot is pictured here, at an ATM, where he assumed she would withdraw the $200. Instead, the police showed up and arrested him. Great job MPD.
I know these phone-snatchings happen all the time. One of my friends had the exact thing happen. Her iPhone was taken out of her purse at a club on Beale, and a week later she met someone and paid $100 to get her phone back. If you’ve had your phone snatched and then someone has demanded money, take a good hard look at this guy. If he looks familiar you need to talk to MPD while they have him in custody.
Ladies, a reminder – be very careful about leaving your phone in an open purse as you walk through crowded areas. I know it’s inconvenient to zip and unzip your purses, but it keeps your valuables safe.