A Brantford man is accused of stealing a smartphone from a blind man.
Marc Proulx, who is visually impaired, left his apartment building to get some fresh air shortly after 11 p.m. Friday.
He was then approached by another man, who asked to be let into the apartment.
As he did not recognize the stranger, Proulx refused.
When he returned to the building a couple minutes later, he realized that the stranger had followed him inside.
The stranger allegedly started a conversation with Proulx, who told the stranger to leave.
Proulx says the stranger then took a black iPhone from his hand and left the building.
“He just ran. He ran out the door,” Proulx tells CTV News.
“I said ‘Come back here with my phone’ and he proceeded on running.”
Proulx unsuccessfully chased after the thief with the help of his guide dog, then returned home and called police.
Among the tools used to identify and locate the suspect were an iPhone security feature which helps track lost and stolen phones.
Surveillance video also allegedly shows the suspect stealing the phone.
The iPhone was found and returned to Proulx.
Ivan Crawford, 30, is charged with theft under $5,000.
He was released from custody on a promise to appear in court.
