University police arrested two males for allegedly stealing an iPhone early Wednesday morning.
The two male suspects, Delonte Hardy and Rondell Thomas, who are not students at this university, approached the victim near the Varsity Team House as he walked home to his dorm. Thomas asked to use the victim’s cell phone, then passed the phone to Hardy, who then ran away with it, according to a University Police press release.
The victim initially chased after Hardy but then stopped at a Blue Light Phone to report the crime. Security cameras spotted the two suspects, providing a description of their appearances and their exact location. An officer stopped the suspects around 12:10 a.m. and found an iPhone in Hardy’s pocket, according to University Police Spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky.
“They spotted people that fit the description,” Limansky said. “An officer in the area went to that location and was able to stop the individuals and get them identified.”
They were each arrested and charged with theft under $1000 and conspiracy to commit theft under $1000, he said.
The swift arrest of the two individuals was a direct result of the victim’s immediate call for help at the Blue Light station, Limansky said.
“It’s a perfect example of quick reporting on the part of the victim,” he said. “Sometimes people will wait or talk to a friend first. … If too much time had elapsed, these guys would have been gone.”
foley@umdbk.com
