Man with gun crashes after stealing iPhone, $400 from seller in Jacksonville

An recent iPhone sale involved a gun, a chase and a crash. A witness tells Action News Jax that a man had met up with someone to sell his iPhone when he was held at gunpoint on Monday night.

That man then drove after the suspect, who crashed his truck into a tree on Forest Boulevard on the Southside, the witness said.

"We hear like this weird screeching, like a car wrecking and a big bang," witness Elijh Williams said.

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That’s when Williams said he walked outside and found that a white Ford F-150 had slammed into a tree.

When our Action News Jax crew got on scene, they noticed that the driver’s side windshield was shattered and that the airbag had been deployed.

Williams said the driver ran from the truck.

"The guy he robbed comes down the street and he's like 'Where'd he go,' and everyone is pointing, 'He ran behind the houses,'" Williams said.

Action News Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said that’s something you shouldn’t do.

"Never, ever try to take matter into your own hands. Call police and give a good description," Jefferson said.

Less than a mile from the scene, Williams said this happened after a man met up with the suspect to sell an iPhone.

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"When he got into his vehicle to show him the phone, he was approached with the gun to his hip," Williams said.

K-9 units, a helicopter and officers were in the neighborhood for nearly three hours looking for the driver who took off running and is considered armed and dangerous, according to police.

Jefferson said the man’s injuries from the crash could be his downfall.

"When the pain becomes excruciating, he'll have to get some type of medical attention and that will open up the doors for police to get an arrest," Jefferson said.

When meeting someone online to buy or sell something, Jefferson said to do it in a public place.

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"Always arrange to meet someone in a well-lit, highly populated area, preferably during the daylight hours," Jefferson said.

Witnesses describe the suspect as being a black male who is at least 6 feet tall and weighs about 180 lbs.

They said he was wearing a white shirt and black pants.

Cox Media Group