Gadsden man arrested after holding cellphone hostage

Marqualin D. Sumpter

A 19 year old Gadsden man has been charged with receiving stolen property after contacting a woman about her lost cellphone and demanding money for its return.

A woman told police she placed her cellphone by the sink at a store in the Gadsden Mall while washing her hands and walked out without it. When she returned for the phone, it was gone.

A few hours later, she was contacted by a young man about her phone. He told her if she wanted her phone back, she needed to bring him money. She was told to bring $175 to an address on Jupiter Street, and that he would be waiting for her.

When she arrived, Marqualin D. Sumpter,  flagged her down. He immediately was taken into custody by police accompanying her for second-degree receiving stolen property.

The woman’s phone was found in his possession, minus its Lifeproof case and SIM card.