Thief Arrested Trying to Return Phone for $100, Police Say

A man who stole a cell phone from a car in Penn Wynne, then called and theatened its owner at home, was arrested last week after he agreed to meet up with the owner to sell back the phone for $100, Lower Merion police said.

Brandon Giddings, 24, of West Philadelphia was charged with theft from a motor vehicle after his arrest about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, police said.

About 2 a.m., the phone's owner had looked out the window at his home on the 200 block of Haverford Road to see the interior light illuminated in his Ford Explorer. The owner checked the vehicle and found his wallet and phone missing, as well as someone else's clothing left behind.

The owner called the cell phone from his landline and a man answered, mumbling briefly before disconnecting, police said. Then the man with the cell phone called the house phone back several times, threatening the owner, who contacted police.

The final time the house phone rang, police were with the owner. Without tipping off the man to the police presence, they persuaded him to meet with the intent of selling the phone back for $100, police said. He agreed and asked to meet at City and Lancaster avenues, even describing his own appearance.

Giddings was arrested at that location shortly thereafter, police said. He is scheduled for an Oct. 16 preliminary hearing in Bala Cynwyd district court, according to court records.