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Tempe Police: Man who had money to buy PS4 steals it instead

Police Beat photo

The Tempe Police station, which is located on Fifth Avenue near College Avenue. 


Tempe police reported the following incidents Monday:

A 20-year-old California man was arrested Nov. 12 in the 3200 block of West Lower Buckeye Road on suspicion of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery and armed robbery with a deadly weapon, according to a police report.

The man and his friend stole a PlayStation 4 from a 21-year-old male while meeting to exchange the console for a sale through the Offer Up app, police reported.

The owner of the PS4 gave the two men a ride to their apartment, where they said they needed to go upstairs to retrieve money for the purchase, according to the report.

A short time later, the second man told the owner to bring the console up to the apartment, police reported. Once inside, the man pointed a black-colored glock-style handgun at the owner, pointing the weapon at his chest from about 12 inches away and telling him to “drop that sh-t,” police reported.

The owner dropped the PS4 and ran out of the apartment, according to the report.

Later that day, officers received a similar call from an apartment complex involving two men contacting another owner about items for sale on Offer Up, police reported.

During the time of the initial response, an investigation of the phone number used revealed the identity of the man and his friend, according to the report. The same number had also been involved in a previous incident on Sept. 14, police reported.

The man’s friend admitted to the incident and said there had been a third person involved who frequently “hangs around,” police reported. Officers arrested the third man, who admitted to being involved in two separate incidents, including the Sept. 14 robbery, according to the report.

The third man admitted he had loaned his gun to the man, but said it was not a real handgun, police reported. He said he had been in the apartment during the incident and that he was paid $100 by the man a short time later, according to the report.

The third man said the man had planned to buy the PS4 and had the money to do so, but decided to rob the owner instead, police reported.

The man was transported to Tempe City Jail, where he was booked and held to see a judge, according to the report.

Reports compiled by Aimee Plante.

Related Links:

Tempe Police: Woman bites officer when he tries to take away pipe

Tempe Police: Man's 'can-shaped bulge' catches police attention after reported theft


Reach the assistant news editor at aplante@asu.edu or follow @aimeenplante on Twitter

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