Suspected phone thief recognized as customer

A man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly robbing a cellphone store where he was a frequent customer.

Police were called to the Boost Mobile store, 3205 N. Division, Tuesday morning for a reported robbery. An employee told police that Habtom O. Tesfamariam, whom she recognized as a regular customer, had come in to complain about a cellphone he had purchased the day before.

She told police that Tesfamariam became aggressive and told her he wasn’t leaving without a new phone, according to court documents. She said that he forced his way into the back of the store and shoved her to the ground before running away with a phone he had not paid for.

Tesfamariam was caught by police nearby. He is facing a charge of first-degree robbery.