Police arrest two juveniles involved in BART cellphone theft at Lake Merritt station

Guian Bolisay | Flickr http://bit.ly/2ogdFnY

Two youths robbed a BART passenger of her cellphone at the Lake Merritt station in Oakland Friday, but officers swiftly nabbed the two, police said.

A young woman grabbed a cellphone from another woman's hands aboard a train around 4 p.m., then fled out of the station, according to police.

The victim tried to run after the suspect, but a second young woman stopped her, using force, police said.

Officers arrested both suspects shortly afterward, according to police.

The victim got her cellphone back, and the suspects were booked into Alameda County Juvenile Hall, police said.

The two suspects also were issued prohibition orders, according to police. BART police began issuing prohibition orders in 2013.

These orders can be issued against anyone who commits certain offenses on BART, and ban the person for 30 days to a year.

The offenses include violence against passengers or employees, or repeated infractions such as urinating in public or defacing property.