Virginia Beach, Va. – Virginia Beach police are investigating two unrelated cases where, both times, a robber’s cell phone was accidentally left with the victim. And in both cases, according to a pair of search-warrant affidavits, detectives are using the phones to identify the robbers.
In the first, a man parked near Nelms Lane to mow a field in late July. Later, he noticed a man going through his car. He ran off with $150 from the center console. The victim chased the thief who scaled a fence and was gone. But the victim noticed the fleeing thief had dropped his white Samsung Galaxy phone with the word “Cricket” written on the back.
Police wrote: “A short time later the suspect returned, asking for his phone, to which the victim asked for his $150 back. The suspect ran away again.”
The second case happened in early August on Norfolk Ave., around 3 a.m. A man saw a woman walking near Virginia Beach Boulevard. She let him use her Samsung phone so he could call a friend for a ride. The two kept walking to the Ocean Pebbles Apartments area, where a Lexus stopped to pick up the woman.
The driver pointed a gun at the victim, racked a round into the chamber, and demanded money. According to the affidavit, the victim handed over $140. The woman, who said her name was “Christie,” got into the car. Police noted: “The suspect sped away with ‘Christie’ in the front seat. (The victim) still possessed the white Samsung phone given to him by ‘Christie.'”
The victim told police that he then answered several calls, all wanting to speak to “Christie.” The victim turned the phone over to police.
