Craigslist Sale Results in Altercation, Robbery Charge

A Budd Lake man was arrested after stealing an iPhone from someone he set up to meet on Craigslist at the Burger King parking lot on Route 46, police said.

Stephen Ference, 24, was charged with robbery following the Sunday, Sept. 22 incident.

Sgt. Edmund Ailara and Officer Jeffrey Papienuk responded to the Burger King shortly before 1 p.m., and the man who was trying sell the iPhone told them he set up the meeting on Craigslist to make the transaction, according to a Parsippany police report.

The seller told the Ference the phone was $500 and while he was sitting in his car resetting the phone, Ference reached into the car and stole it, police said.

The victim got out of his car, caught up to Ference and the two struggled before the seller was pushed to the ground, police said. The seller suffered scratches and cuts, but was able to grab the phone from Ference before he fled the scene, police said.

The victim described Ference and the Chevrolet Equinox he was driving and Officer Awilda Curving stopped the vehicle on Baldwin Road, police said.