PATERSON POLICE GET BREAK IN CRAIGSLIST, IPHONE THEFTS — THE BLACK URBAN TIMES
One person has been arrested in connection with a string of robberies involving iPhones in North Paterson, but don’t rest easy, say police.
For the past two weeks, Paterson residents wanting to buy or sell an iPhone placed or answered an ad off Craigslist, and found themselves the victim of a robbery instead, WABC News reported.
Five victims met the suspects on Haledon Avenue near 4th and 5th Streets where two or three men robbed them at gunpoint. According to WABC News, the person in police custody is a juvenile who detectives say is part of a group that has been targeting Craigslist.
Lt. Rich Reyes told The Record the suspect was initially spotted during a police stakeout but fled before officers could arrest him. They caught up with him around 6:30 p.m. on Friday at his home. Investigators say the men involved in the robberies are believed to be in their teens or early 20s.
Police have not announced what charges the juvenile will face or what his role in the iPhone theft ring is, but say the investigation is still fresh and more arrests are expected. According to CBS News, several people have sustained minor injuries, so police have taken to posting a warning on Craigslist telling buyers to beware of iPhone ads from Paterson.
Ideally, if you are going to buy an iPhone, or anything for that matter, off the Internet, plan to meet in a public place with plenty of people around. The inside of a restaurant, cafe or bookstore is perfect. If anyone were planning to rob you, they would prefer not to have any eyewitnesses.
Be sure to get a phone number and description of the vehicle or person meeting you. Let others know where you are going and how long you expect to be. The more precautions you take the better.
A Chicago man, robbed of his iPhone, and cash last month used his home computer to track the stolen cell phone and helped police nab the thieves immediately, the Chicago Tribune reported. A GPS application on the victim’s iPhone led police to the 1700 block of North Western Avenue in Chicago where the men were found sitting in a truck at a gas station.
If you have been a victim of the iPhone thieves or know anything about the robberies, please call Paterson police at 973-321-1111.
iHound: Track Your Stolen iPhone
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