2 suspects caught on camera stealing payphone

BLOOMINGTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A payphone was stolen in Bloomington Wednesday morning, and the crime was caught on camera.

Shortly before 3 a.m., a suspect was caught on video backing up a white minivan where a phone booth was attached to a concrete wall.

A man gets out, uses a nylon tow strap to hook the phone up to the back of the van and he drives off to yank the entire thing from the wall. He then drives across the parking lot with the payphone dragging behind the car.

A San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy, who was in the right place at the right time, caught the suspect red handed.

Christina Ainga owns the restaurant where the payphone was stolen.

"I was shocked. I mean I was so surprised. I was shocked that they would do something like this," she said. "A lot of people are struggling and people are doing a lot of crazy, insane things such as this."

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputy arrested two suspects who were either trying to steal the change from the phone's coin box or use the whole thing for recycling.

Will Kartoah is the manager of the business next door to Ainga. After this incident, he wonders what will be next on the list for people to steal.

"I'm worried about the light now. We bought expensive light so if they came for that they'd probably come for light too," he said.

The two men, 24 and 56, face charges of grand theft, and authorities say the pair are transients.