Gardai in Athlone have appealed for witnesses to two separate incidents in Athlone last night (Sunday) in which teenagers were robbed of their mobile phones.
In the first incident, which took place in the Strand area of the town between 9.30pm and 10pm, two men approached a single male from behind and pulled him to the ground before making off with his mobile phone. The victim received medical treatment for a number of superficial cuts and bruises to his face and upper body and is expected to make a full recovery.
Later the same evening, at around 10.30pm, a teenage male who was walking in the vicinity of the Glen Abhainn student village complex on the Dublin road in Athlone was attacked by a single male who approached him from behind and wrestled him to the ground before making off with his mobile phone.
While local Gardai have not made any arrests in either of these cases, they have issued an appeal for anyone who was in the Strand or the Glen Abhainn areas of Athlone between the hours of 9pm and 11pm last evening and noticed anything unusual to contact them at Athlone Garda Station on 090 6492600.
Sergeant Andrew Haran issued a reminder to members of the public to “always be vigilant” when out and about and to ensure that all personal belongings, including mobile phones, are kept safe and secure at all times.
While he stressed that Gardai have no reason to believe that both incidents may be linked, he described the use of physical violence in both cases as “a worrying development.”