Police: Man Robbed At Gunpoint After Arranging Purchase On Instagram, Suspect Released To Guardian

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Wilmington – Delaware State Police have arrested two subjects involved in the armed robbery of a Wilmington man, which took place during a meeting arranged via Instagram for the purchase of a cell phone, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Michael Austin.

Austin said the incident occurred at approximately 1:58 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in the Midway Plaza Shopping Center, located in the 4600 block of Kirkwood Hwy., Wilmington.

An 18-year-old Wilmington man had been in communication on Instagram with a subject regarding the purchase of a cell-phone, according to Austin. A price was negotiated and the two parties agreed to meet in the rear alley of the Midway Plaza Shopping Center. The victim who was a rear seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend arrived at the designated location to complete the transaction. Soon after arriving two black male subjects approached the vehicle and made contact with the victim through his open window. Upon making contact with the victim, one of the subjects displayed a silver and black handgun, pointed it at the victim and demanded his money, according to Austin. The victim complied with the demand and turned over an undisclosed amount of money, at which time both subjects fled the area on foot. The victim was uninjured as a result of the incident.

Through various investigative leads Delaware State Police detectives were able to identify the two subjects involved in the incident as Davine Boyce (18) of Wilmington and a 16-year-old male of Newport. After being identified both subjects were located and taken into custody without incident.

Both subjects were transported to Troop 2 where they were arrested and charged with one count each of: Robbery 1st Degree and Conspiracy 2nd Degree.

Boyce was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court #2 and then committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in lieu of $11,000 secured bail.

The 16-year-old was arraigned at New Castle County Family Court and released to his guardian on $10,000 unsecured bond.

The Delaware State Police issued a few safety tips for citizens to keep in mind when conducting such transactions:

Citizens who want to meet a buyer or seller should do so during daylight hours.
Do not go to a transaction alone.
Make sure a friend or family member is aware of the transaction details.
Insist on meeting in a public area where cameras are located. You can always conduct transactions in Troop or Police Department parking lots.
Do not go into someone else’s home, and do not allow them into yours.
If someone is not willing to meet you in a public area, during daylight areas, it is probably not a legitimate transaction
Trust your instincts.

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