CNN Anchor Mugged By Teenage ‘Apple Pickers’

Atlanta, GA – CNN anchor Carol Costello was mugged yesterday by a trio of thieves who were after her Apple iPhone.

Carol Costello is the host of CNN Newsroom that airs from 9 to 11 am Eastern on the cable network. On her Facebook page, Costello admitted that the robbery was insignificant as compared to the terrorist attack in Boston, but the assault nonetheless left her understandably angry and shaken.

Costello described what happened when she was mugged on a downtown Atlanta street in broad daylight:

“I was walking down a beautiful, leafy Atlanta street, talking on my iPhone. Guess what happened next? Three teenagers ran up behind me. One of them grabbed my iPhone. Stupidly I struggled to hold on-to it. But, he was a big guy. And he pulled out a chunk my hair. I let go. As he ran down the street, laughing, I hurled a few expletives his way…”

Costello apparently was a victim of what police across the country refer to as “Apple picking.” This refers to street thugs who steal iPhones and sell them on the black market for up to $1,000 a pop.

Carol Costello provided a note of caution for readers: “So, a warning for you. Do not talk on your iPhone as you walk down the street. Oh, and let go of the stupid device if someone tries to steal it.”

Incidentally, the CNN anchor/reporter has developed a reputation as an outspoken foe of gun rights.

Because of the prevalence of so-called Apple pickers in the Big Apple, the NYPD has assembled a dedicated team whose sole mission it is to hunt down stolen Apple devices and identify thieves. There were about 4,000 Apple products thefts in New York City in the year 2012.

If you own any Apple products, do you have growing concerns about your personal safety and the risk of robbery? If so, are you more circumspect about carrying your devices in public?