Police have arrested one of the men suspected in a violent robbery that left a Connecticut pastor unconscious while he was trying to buy a cellphone outside his Hartford church through Craigslist, according to police.
Raheem Rankine, 20, of East Hartford, is facing a first-degree robbery charge in the incident.
The pastor, Louis Borges, 54, sustained minor injuries during a "crooked Craigslist transaction" outside his church, Assembleia De Deus at 106 New Park Ave., around 4:24 p.m. Saturday, police said.
He answered an ad on Craigslist for a $400 cell phone he wanted to buy and agreed to meet a man in front of his Portuguese church where he serves as head pastor. He brought his adult daughter and teenage son with him for the transaction.
He met the seller on the sidewalk and when the pastor turned over the money, a second man came up and punched the victim in the head. Both suspects then ran off with the money and the phone. Witnesses reported the suspects fled the area in a gray Chrysler Sebring.
When police arrived, they found the pastor on the ground, disoriented.
The victim was transported to Hartford Hospital and treated for minor injuries.
A pastor at Borges' church said he believes the incident is isolated.
Police say the first suspect is described as male, approximately 5 feet six inches tall, 20-25 years old, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt that read “FLY” across the front. Borges' daughter managed to snap a photo of the suspect, so investigators had a photo of Rankine wearing the sweatshirt the day of the robbery. It's the same sweatshirt he was wearing in his Facebook profile photo, police said.
"When you commit a Craigslist robbery and pose for a pic, it helps if you wear the same shirt on Facebook. #evidence," Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley, public information officer, tweeted with the two photos side by side.
The second suspect is still at large and is described as male, 140-160 lbs, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sneakers and black sweatpants.
Investigators ask anyone with information to contact Hartford police.
Police warn others to beware of fake listings on Craiglist, and meeting people in person for these social media transactions. Foley said the best place to conduct this type of business is in the police headquarters parking lot. They’ve designated it as a safe zone for all social media transactions.
It's unknown whether Rankine has an attorney.
His bond was set at $75,000.
Photo Credit: Hartford Police Department