This is the moment an American tourist had her phone snatched on the streets of London – before she managed to chased down the thief and reclaim it herself.
Elizabeth Lopez Aguilar, 24, was filming a TikTok while on holiday in the capital when a man snatched her phone right from under her nose.
The Texan was in London celebrating her boyfriend's birthday, heading to see Hercules on the West End, when the theft occurred.
But the thief had no idea he had just targeted a track athlete who specialises in sprinting and long-distance running.
Within minutes, Elizabeth and her boyfriend chased the man down and retrieved the phone.
Elizabeth, from Texas, USA, said: “At first I was laughing because I thought it was my boyfriend playing a prank.
“But then I realised it was real.
“I was shocked but immediately kicked into full gear.”
A lifelong sports enthusiast, Elizabeth has spent the past two years taking her training to the next level, competing in sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons and currently training for an Ironman.
Elizabeth said: “I genuinely think the thief had no idea who he was messing with.
“I immediately went into running mode and wouldn't stop until the guy was caught.”
Elizabeth's boyfriend joined the chase, and together they cornered the thief.
She said: “I thought it was a prank at first but immediately sprung into action and chased after him.
“My boyfriend had also noticed and ran after him with me.
“We caught him quickly after I was able to grab his arm and take the phone back.
“We didn't pursue any addition legal action or call the police as the man did not fight back and immediately left once we recovered the phone.”
Phone thefts have risen sharply in the capital in recent years, particularly in tourist hotspots. The increase is thought to be driven by growing demand for second-hand phones in the UK and overseas, with many victims never being reunited with their stolen device.
Figures from the Met Police showed a total of 116,655 mobile phones were stolen in the capital in 2024, amounting to 13 phone thefts per hour or 320 each day.
The West End is the worst area in the country for phone thefts, with nearly 18 stolen devices reported each day on Oxford Street.
