UNION SQUARE — A Craigslist scammer who claimed to be selling a phone stole $400 from a man who responded to his ad, the NYPD said.
Dequaan Brown, 24, posted an ad for a Samsung Galaxy 5 phone and made plans to meet up with the victim, a 26-year-old man from New Rochelle, at The Coffee Shop, 29 Union Square West, police said.
But when the victim got there and handed over $400 in cash, Brown told him, "I have a gun in my duffel bag. Don't chase me," and took off with the money, police said.
Despite the threat, the man “calmly" followed Brown as he left the restaurant and went into the Union Square train station. Once they were both on the subway, the victim notified the train conductor and asked the conductor to stop the train, police said.
The conductor stopped the train at Canal Street, where Brown fled again before running into two police officers who arrested him, police said.
Brown was charged with robbery. He is due back in court on May 30, according to online court records.
His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Other notable crimes that occurred at the 13th Precinct include:
► A 72-year-old man was arrested inside of 30th Street Men’s Shelter after police caught him carrying 148 bags of heroin, police said.
Police stopped Miguel Gonzales inside of the shelter lobby as a part of a routine search when they spotted a small brown paper bag fall from his front pocket, police said.
The bag was carrying several small packets of heroin labeled “Heat,” police said.
Gonzales was charged with possession of drugs, a felony, police said. Information regarding his attorney was not immediately available.
