Cops: Officer Calls Stolen Cell Phone, Busts Alleged Thief Inside Courtroom

An alleged cell phone thief was busted inside the Fort Lee courthouse when police made a call to the stolen device just moments after it was taken, Port Authority police said.

On June 25 inside the court, around 1 p.m., a Paterson man, 56, told uniformed Port Authority officers his Samsung Galaxy 4 cell phone was stolen after it had been placed on a stand inside the bathroom, police said.

The victim described the suspect and pointed him out inside the courtroom, police said.

At that time, an officer called the stolen device, and witnessed the suspect, later identified as Pedro Figueroa Jr., 27, of West New York, pull the phone from his pocket and watch it as it vibrated, police said.

The phone’s screen was activated and determined to be the property of the owner, police said. Figueroa, Jr. was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property. The phone was returned to the owner.