3rd teen held in Burns Park kidnapping, robbery

Kaleem Phillips.
Kaleem Phillips.

A third North Little Rock teenager has been arrested in the January robbery and kidnapping of a man who was forced at gunpoint to provide information so money could be withdrawn from his bank account, authorities said.

Kaleem Phillips, 18, of North Little Rock was arrested Friday without incident, North Little Rock police said late Saturday in a statement. He is being charged with kidnapping, aggravated robbery and theft of property, police said.

Last month, police arrested Davieion McElroy, 16, and Vincent Shabazz, 15, and charged them as adults on the same counts.

The crime began Jan. 13 as the 18-year-old victim was waiting at the Burns Park tennis courts, authorities said.

The man was reportedly approached by a gunman who forced him into the backseat of his truck. Police say two other robbers then got in the vehicle and they drove it to Little Rock. The man was forced to provide his bank account personal identification number, and the robbers withdrew money from an ATM, police said.

The robbers later forced the man from his vehicle before forcing him back in, according to a police statement. The victim reported hearing gunshots at that time.

"The suspects then forced him back in the car and drove to a location on Frazier Pike where they forced the victim out of the vehicle and he heard a shot from behind him again," Sgt. Brian Dedrick wrote in the statement. "This time he was able to get away from the suspects."

The robbers got away with the victim's truck, cellphone and cash, though the truck was recovered Jan. 15 just north of McCain Mall.

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