Couple brought the money to buy a phone. The sellers brought the guns, deputies say

The private sale of one Samsung Galaxy phone ended with a family of three being held at gunpoint.

Around 9 p.m. on July 16, a married 23-year-old couple agreed to meet at a private St. Petersburg residence to buy a cellphone they found using Facebook Marketplace. It was a trap, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after the family arrived, a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and two suspects got out of the car with guns and hoodies covering their faces. The sheriff’s office said one of the suspects pointed a gun at a male victim in the driver’s seat and the other pointed a gun at a female victim, who was holding her newborn child.

The suspects demanded money, deputies say. They took $500 and personal items from the victims before fleeing in their car. No one was injured during the incident.

Using a partial license plate number, the sheriff’s office was able to identify the suspects as Jermaine Brown, 20, and Robert Walker, 18.

Brown turned himself in to St. Petersburg Police on Tuesday for an unrelated attempted murder charge. Investigators interviewed him and say he admitted to his involvement in the robbery.

Deputies arrested Walker, who also admitted to the robbery allegations, at his high school on Friday.

Both suspects have been charged with one count of robbery with a deadly weapon. Brown is being held on bond totaling $100,000. Walker is being held on $50,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing, according to the sheriff’s office.

Law enforcement officers advocate finding a safe, neutral spot, such as a police station, to purchase expensive items from private sellers.