thief breaks shoppers finger to get hands on ipad

Via: 9NEWS

DENVER - Bill Jordan was just doing a favor for a Canadian coworker who asked him to purchase a new Apple iPad, since the device wasn't yet available in Canada. But his goodwill gesture made him a target for thieves last Thursday afternoon at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center.

After purchasing the iPad, which can retail for $499 to $829 according to the Apple Store's website, Jordan went to the mall exit. While in between two sets of doors, a man crept up behind Jordan and started pulling the bag.

"He was pulling with all of his might, probably thinking that he could just pull it out of my hand and be gone quickly. But the chord (of the bag) was wrapped around my finger," he said.

That didn't stop the thief. Mall surveillance video shows that the man kept pulling the bag until he ripped Jordan's pinky finger.

"It was opened up to the bone all the way to the top. Like I told my wife when I saw it, I figured they wouldn't be able to save it."

Jordan's pinky finger on his left hand was amputated at the knuckle. The 59-year-old, who is left-handed, will likely need therapy to learn how to do things like type on a computer, using his injured hand.

"It just doesn't seem like, in my mind, something that is worth hurting someone over," Jordan said.

The thief, who was seen in earlier surveillance video with another man, eventually got the iPad and escaped through a south exit. Denver Police Department Spokesperson Sonny Jackson says, even though investigators don't know if the other man was waiting in a getaway car, they believe the pair had an escape plan and premeditated their crime.

"When they're walking above (on the second level of the mall) they see the (victim)," said Jackson. "They obviously targeted him and went for him and took his device."

Police are offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading them to one or both men, anonymous tips can be reported at 720-913-STOP (7867).

"The safety and security of our customers and the shoppers who are coming here is our first priority," said Cherry Creek Mall Marketing and Sponsorship Director Dave Dixon. He added that the mall keeps security guards constantly on staff, along with an undisclosed number of surveillance cameras.

"If there's a message here, it's that people have to be careful wherever they go," said Jordan.
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