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Downtown Orlando: Hotspot for cellphone thefts, police say

ORLANDO, Fla. — Investigators with the Orlando Police Department said in recent weeks they have seen an increase in pickpocketers stealing cellphones in downtown Orlando.

Kelsey McDaniel, a Channel 9 employee, didn't think it could happen to her, but someone stole her and her friend’s cellphone over the weekend near Wall Street Plaza.

“I didn't even think twice about that, and then I went to reach for my phone, either to text someone or just check the time and that's when I realized that mine was gone, too,” McDaniel said.

A spokesperson for Wall Street Plaza management said they regularly work with law enforcement to prevent pickpocketing with a half dozen off-duty police officers patrolling.

Jonathan Mora-Gomez was caught pickpocketing 26 cellphones at the EDC music festival worth $20,000 last month, investigators said.

Police told Channel 9’s Steve Barrett that they have a detective focusing on the rash of crimes happening across downtown Orlando.

Steve Barrett

Steve Barrett, WFTV.com

Reporter Steve Barrett returned to WFTV in mid-2017 after 18 months in the Twin Cities, where he worked as Vice President of Communications for an Artificial Intelligence software firm aligned with IBM.

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