BOSTON — A man was punched in the face and had his headphones ripped right off his head during a brazen Sunday afternoon robbery inside the Prudential Center.

The attack happened near Sephora in the Back Bay shopping complex at approximately 1:44 p.m. — in broad daylight, with shoppers all around.

Interior of the Shops at Prudential Center showing Sephora storefront — The interior of the Shops at Prudential Center in Boston, with the Sephora store visible on the right. The robbery occurred near this area on Sunday afternoon. (Wikimedia Commons)

The victim told responding officers that a man walked up to him, punched him, and snatched his headphones before vanishing into the mall. The suspect was described as a clean-shaven male in his twenties. Boston police met with the victim on scene and immediately began reviewing surveillance footage.

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No arrests have been reported.

The Prudential Center has become one of the most crime-plagued retail destinations in Boston. In January, three shoplifters were arrested in a single hour at the mall — one was carrying fentanyl and crack cocaine and assaulted a police officer during the arrest. In November, thieves brazenly walked out of the Canada Goose store with stolen merchandise in full view of security cameras.

And it's not just the shops. Last fall, police released surveillance photos of a suspect who viciously beat a 71-year-old man at the Prudential MBTA station — part of a wave of violence across Boston's transit system that has included armed felons, sex offenders, and mob attacks.

The robbery was first reported by Stacos, a well-known 24-hour Boston police scanner monitor.

<BACK BAY>
Robbery in the Pru near Sephora. Caller was punched and had his headphones stolen, suspect is clean-shaven in his twenties, BPD meeting with victim and playing area
#144pm
— s.t.Å.c.o. | online (@StacoS) March 22, 2026

Sunday's robbery adds another entry to a growing list that shows no sign of slowing down.

Suspect punches man and steals his headphones inside the Prudential Center — police reviewing cameras as crime-plagued mall sees another incident

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