Woman Burglarizes Midtown Home After Asking To Use Phone: Police

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — A woman burglarized an elderly woman's Midtown apartment after knocking on her door and asking to use her phone, according to police.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday, when the unidentified woman knocked on the apartment door of an 84-year-old woman, in a building near East 57th Street and Lexington Avenue.

The woman asked to use the victim's landline telephone and the victim let the woman into her house, police said. After the elderly woman stepped away to let her make the call in private, she discovered that the stranger had taken her purse and fled.

The purse contained $300, bank cards and ID, according to police.

Police shared photos of the suspect and asked anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips online or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.