2 purported phone sales arranged through Facebook end in armed robberies in west Little Rock, police say

Two parties who believed they were purchasing a phone instead found a gun pointed at them in robberies that took place just blocks apart in Little Rock on Friday night, police said.

The first robbery occurred at about 7 p.m. after two Russellville men drove to the Fairfield Apartments, 1912 Green Mountain Drive, in order to purchase an iPhone they saw for sale on Facebook, a Little Rock police report states. The two told police a black male wearing a gray beanie and black coat brandished a gun and demanded they give up their belongings, the report said.

The victims ran from the meeting place and discovered upon returning to their car that a phone had been stolen, authorities said.

About two hours later, a man and woman from Vilonia pulled up to the Pleasant Pointe Apartments, 1602 Green Mountain Drive, in order to make a similar purchase, a separate report states. The Vilonia residents were originally set to meet the purported seller at the site of the previous robbery, but they were instead told to go to “his apartment” at Pleasant Pointe, police said.

The victims from Vilonia told officers that the robber placed a gun against the man’s head and took his phone and wallet, as well as a pocketknife and a set of keys. The gunman then pointed his firearm at the woman and grabbed her purse before running north, according to authorities.

Police believe the robberies were committed by the same man, the report states.

Police said they developed a possible suspect from a Facebook page, but no arrests had been made as of Monday morning.

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