Man Goes To Buy iPhone, Ends Up With Gun In His Face

SPANAWAY, WA - This is yet another reminder to users of sites like Craigslist and OfferUp: make sure you conduct transactions in a safe place. According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, a man recently went to buy an iPhone in Spanaway, but when he went to pull out the cash, he got a gun stuck in his face.

One glimmer of hope: the victim had his dash-cam rolling during the transaction and captured an image of the suspects.

The incident happened just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 2 in a residential area north of 152nd Street East near the Brookdale Golf Course. The victim was responding to an ad on the service OfferUp for an iPhone.

When the victim reached the meetup spot, there were four men waiting for him. One of the man handed the phone to the victim and then followed the victim to his car when he went to get the cash. The man then pulled a gun and grabbed the phone and the cash. The four suspects ran from the scene.

Police were able to identify the gunman as a 16-year-old Spanaway Lake High School student, and he was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery. The other three suspects are still outstanding, according to the sheriff's office.

Do you recognize either of the suspects? Contact the sheriff's Proactive Property Crime Unit at 253-798-3278.

Many local police departments have created safe spaces in their parking lots to facilitate safe transactions. Read more about Lakewood police's meetup space.

Image via Pierce County Sheriff