Cell phone leads cops to bandit

UPDATED:

A young bandit who dropped his cell phone on the scene of an armed robbery on Wednesday and escaped with $46,000 is expected to turn himself in to the police today.

The suspect, who has two addresses, in Diego Martin and San Juan, was stunned on Wednesday afternoon, hours after the robbery, when he was contacted by Northern Division police and told to surrender or face the full brunt of the law.

According to reports, at around 11.45 am on Wednesday, Wayne Charles, who works at an NP gas station in San Raphael, was on his way to deposit $46,000 for his employer when he was confronted by a gunman near his workplace.

The gunman ordered him to hand over a bag containing the cash. During a struggle the bandit’s cell phone fell from his pocket, unknown to him, and in his haste to get away with the cash he was not aware that Charles had seen the phone fall.

A hysterical Charles contacted the San Raphael police and handed over the phone. Investigators contacted the police Cyber Crime Unit, who found the addresses and name of the owner, as well as his mother’s number.

On Wednesday afternoon, hours after the robbery, police called her. She expressed surprise when told her son had been involved in a $46,000 robbery but promised to have him contact the police that afternoon.

Later that day the suspect spoke with Asst Supt Mervyn Edwards of the Northern Division, who told him he was the suspect and asked him to surrender. The man told police he had seen his photo being posted on Facebook and some websites and said he would make himself available with his lawyer today at the San Raphael police station.

Police sources also said yesterday that when the cell phone was found and handed in, an officer put the suspect’s photo online with a post telling him his phone had been found at the scene of a robbery and he should come to the San Raphael police station to collect it. The photo of the man remained online on an official police WhatsApp group.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A bandit who dropped his cell phone during an armed robbery was contacted by police yesterday and asked to turn himself in. The man has promised to surrender today in company with his attorney.

His photo was posted on an unofficial police WhatsApp group on Wednesday after the robbery and he was advised to collect his cell phone at the police station in the district where the robbery took place.

Police said yesterday if the man fails to surrender he will be arrested.