MANCHESTER - A thieving bicyclist punched a woman in the face and stole her iPhone as she was sitting in her car calling for directions after becoming lost on her drive to pick up her boyfriend, police said.

The woman, whose name and address police did not release, told investigators a man on a mountain bike reached in through the open passenger window and grabbed her cell phone.

She struggled to hang onto it and police said the man punched her in the face, causing her to release her grip. The robber then pedaled away with the iPhone.

The robbery happened about 12:50 a.m. at Somerville and Taylor streets where the woman had pulled over to call and get directions.

The thief is described as a white or Hispanic man in his 20s with a thin build. He wore a dark-colored, flat brimmed ball cap, a dark-colored collared shirt and either jean shorts or jean pants.

The cell phone is a white iPhone 4 in a pink case.

Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call police at 668-8711. Anonymous tips for cash rewards may be made through Manchester Crimeline at 624-4040 or online at manchestercrimeline.org .