Street cell sale goes bad, woman robbed, men arrested: cops

A pair of Joliet men were jailed after they robbed a woman they sold a cellphone to a short time earlier, police said.

The two men —Amarion Denwiddie, 18, and Joseph Lee Townsend, 48 — arranged a meeting with a 28-year-old woman to sell her a cellphone and rendezvoused with her about 11:30 p.m. Friday on East Jackson Street between Scott and State streets, according to police.

The deal was consummated and Townsend took off on foot, police said, while Denwiddie told the woman to drive to North Chicago Street.

Along the way, police said, "Denwiddie announced a robbery and forcibly tried to removed the victim’s purse from her body."

"A struggle ensued between the victim and Denwiddie, at which point Denwiddie struck the victim multiple times," police said. "Denwiddie then forcefully took the victim’s purse and phone from the transaction, and fled the area on foot."

The woman was injured in the attack but did not go to the hospital, police said.

Denwiddie was tracked down to his home on Crowley Avenue and arrested about a half hour after the attack, police said, and Townsend was taken into custody about three hours later on North Joliet Street between Clinton and Van Buren streets. Both men were transported to the Will County jail.

Denwiddie was arrested on probable cause of aggravated battery and robbery, and Townsend on probable cause of robbery and theft, according to county jail records.

Denwiddie and Townsend appeared in court Saturday morning, jail records show, and Denwiddie's bond was set at $50,000 and Townsend's at 60,000.