Shoe left behind in scuffle foils ‘Cinderella’ phone snatcher

A phone snatcher was tackled off his e-bike by members of the public, with a left-behind shoe allowing investigators to match his DNA to the trainer which led to his arrest. CCTV footage released by City of London Police on Monday (23 June) shows Spencer Duarte, 28, of Saffron Walden, riding the bike through London moments after stealing a phone out of a victim’s hand. A passer-by who witnessed the incident on 7 August 2024, then tackled Duarte off his bike to the ground, with Duarte losing a shoe, three phones and a backpack in the scuffle. Duarte, who managed to escape, can later be seen walking down a street with just one shoe on. The 28-year-old pleaded guilty at Inner London Crown Court to one count of theft. He also accepted that he had items in his rucksack going equipped to steal.

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