Cellphone thieves targeting women at Jax Beach Bars, reports show

The bars at Jacksonville Beach see hundreds of customers every weekend.

On Wednesday, some of those patrons told Action News Jax cellphone thieves are mixed among the crowds.

Reporter Beth Rousseau spoke to Natalie Goldman on her new phone.

She said her iPhone 8 was stolen while she was at Surfer the Bar early Sunday morning.

Goldman said, “I put it in my purse, and then I went back 10 minutes later, and my phone was just gone.”

The 23-year-old tried tracking her phone.

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She said, “It was offline, so as soon as they snatched my phone, they shut it off.”

Action News Jax obtained more than 30 reports of cellphones stolen from Jacksonville Beach bars since the start of 2019.

Dozens describe situations similar to Goldman’s – phones stolen from closed purses, pockets and, in one case, snatched right from a woman’s hand.

The locations listed on the reports include Surfer the Bar, Casa Marina and Lynch’s.

Goldman explained, “You can’t put it in your pocket, you can’t put it in your purse. These people are really sly.”

Women are the victims in more than half of the cases in 2019.

Goldman said, “That’s just mind-blowing that they’re still getting away with it and they’re still out there.”

Action News Jax spoke to management at Surfer and was told bar owners are working with the Jacksonville Beach police.

Cox Media Group