Police catch two of three men suspected of stealing cell phone from store employee

Police chased three men down Commonwealth Avenue Thursday at approximately 2:05 p.m. after receiving reports the suspects had stolen the cell phone of an employee of East Coast Alpine at 860 Commonwealth Ave.

Two of the men, who police would not identify, were apprehended by police after entering RadioShack at 731 Commonwealth Ave. The third suspect fled across Commonwealth Avenue toward the Charles River esplanade, and was not apprehended, according to a Brookline Police Officer at the scene.

The employee of East Coast Alpine whose phone was stolen, who asked to remain anonymous, said the three suspects entered the store to look at skis, and became aggravated when employees asked them if they needed help looking at merchandise.

“We asked them if they needed any help,” the employee said. “They got mad and said we were profiling them so we left them alone.”

The men finished looking around the store, and left, the employee said. The employee said he then noticed his phone was missing.

“I had left my phone charging out on the floor near the ski racks, and when they left I noticed it was gone,” the employee said. “They were the only people in the store at the time so I called the police.”

Lieutenant Philip Harrington of the Brookline Police Department said two of the men were taken into custody and charged with larceny.

“We chased the three suspects down the street and we have two of them in custody,” Harrington said. “We have one man in custody outside RadioShack and one in custody on Bay State Road.”

Rita Skolaris, of Boston, who was outside RadioShack when the suspects entered the store, said police followed two of the men into the store while some followed the third across Commonwealth Avenue.

“The police chased them inside the store and tackled one of the men onto the sidewalk when the tried to run away,” Skolaris said.

Employees of RadioShack declined to comment.

A Brookline Police officer on the scene, who wished to remain anonymous, said an officer had injured his leg and arm grappling with the suspect, and was treated at the scene by paramedics.

Diane Bell, a student in the Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, said the third suspect ran into the CAS building at  725 Commonwealth Ave., and asked her where the back door was.

“I told him and he ran away,” Bell said. “A cop came 30 seconds later and asked if I’d seen the guy, and I told him where he went.”

Bell said the suspect was a black male in white jeans.

DFP Staff Michael Ferruggia contributed reporting.