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Victim helps find man who stole iPhone he was selling
A man in Keller helped find a suspect who stole a phone from him. The same suspect also allegedly stole another phone later the same day. FOX 4's David Sentendry has more.
KELLER, Texas - An Arlington man was arrested for an alleged armed robbery of an iPhone, hours after he allegedly stole another phone in Keller.
What we know:
On Jan. 19, Arlington police responded to a call in the 1200 block of E. Lamar Boulevard about an alleged armed robbery.
The victim told officers he was selling a phone on an online marketplace and arranged to meet an individual who wanted to purchase it. Instead, the individual allegedly pointed a gun at him, took the phone and drove away from the apartment complex. The victim was uninjured, and no shots were fired.
After receiving information from the victim, Arlington PD was able to identify the suspect as 24-year-old Anthony Mordi. Officers found Mordi at a location in Dallas and took him into custody.
Mordi was charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property. He was booked into Arlington County Jail before being transferred to Tarrant County Jail. Mordi also has an active evading arrest and marijuana possession charge out of Collin County.
Timeline:
Hours before the alleged armed robbery, Mordi was caught on camera taking another phone from a potential seller.
The seller, who goes by iFlipiFones online, says he's been selling phones as a side hustle. He records point-of-view videos to highlight human interaction. He was rolling on the morning of Jan. 17 and caught it all on camera.
"I just didn’t want to get hurt in this situation. It kind of blew my mind how quickly he peeled it away. It was maybe 20 seconds, and it was super effortlessly," the victim said to FOX 4's David Sentendry. "I didn’t think he was going to peel off. He had like a full-foot long sub on his lap."
Mordi, with food in his mouth, took the phone out of the victim's hands and sped away. The victim filed a report with the Keller Police Department shortly after.
Two hours later, the alleged robbery in Arlington took place. iFlipiFones says he's grateful that neither he nor the victim in Arlington were hurt.
Most police departments have exchange zones under video surveillance. This seller met Mordi in a shopping center. One red flag: the car had backed into the spot, making it easy to get away.
"In hindsight, though, there were a lot of signs that I could’ve caught on to, and it was a little careless on my part. I could’ve taken more precaution," iFlipiFones said.
"You know a few hundred dollars is nowhere near worth my life," the victim continued.
The Source: Information in this story came from Arlington PD and FOX 4 reporting.