Thief tried selling cell phone minutes after stealing it, police say

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Gwinnett County man is in jail this morning after police turned the tables on him.

They said he used a popular app to steal a cell phone, then tried selling it minutes later.

Police used the same app to set up a sting to catch him.

A woman and her niece went to a neighborhood to sell a Samsung Galaxy, meeting the would-be buyer after posting it for sale on the LetGo app.

“He came from around back like I guess like he lived here,” the woman said.

The victims told police the young man grabbed the phone and ran off.

“I know he had braces on. He was a very slender guy,” victim said.

Within minutes, Duluth officers spotted it for sale again on the same app, then used it to contact the suspect to buy the just-stolen phone.

An undercover officer setup a meeting at a Walmart, where detectives were waiting for him.

“He got nervous and didn’t want to meet up at the Walmart and thankfully he was already in the parking lot,” Ted Sadowski with the Duluth Police Department said.

Police dash camera video shows police confront Collin Harwell, 20.

”I was actually waiting on an address for one of my friend’s house,” he said.

As more officers arrive, they said Harwell’s appearance gave him away.

"Hey, smile for me. What’s that? Yeah that's him. Braces and tattoos. Put your hands behind your back,” police can be heard saying.

Police said they found the stolen phone in the Harwell’s car.

Police think Harwell may have done this before, that very same day.

A neighbor said he saw him do another snatch and run robbery just a couple of hours before but that earlier victim never called police.

Cox Media Group