After meeting on Facebook, man has iPhone stolen at gunpoint in Alpharetta

Police said Friday they’ve obtained warrants for a suspect accused of robbing a man at gunpoint during a cellphone sale set up on Facebook.

The suspect, who Alpharetta police have not named, allegedly robbed the man who tried to sell him an iPhone on June 15, according to an incident report obtained by Channel 2 Action News.

The sale began with the suspect messaging the victim through Facebook, asking to buy the cellphone for $900, the report said. The two agreed to meet in the 3000 block of Windward Parkway just before 8 p.m. in a parking lot.

The victim gave the phone and his passcode to the suspect, and the suspect signed out of the victim’s iCloud account before running away, the report said. The victim tried to chase the suspect, but the suspect threatened him with a handgun before driving off.

The suspect was described as a dark-skinned, 20-year-old man, who left the scene in a white Ford Crown Victoria, the report said. Two other people were also in the getaway car, but police haven’t released any further information about them.

Police Sgt. Howard Miller told Channel 2 this crime highlights the importance of e-commerce sites under police surveillance, such as Alpharetta police’s site at 2565 Old Milton Parkway.