ORLANDO, Fla. – An 18-year-old accused of orchestrating the theft of an iPhone X in Parramore was charged in the death of the 16-year-old who was shot by the person selling the cellphone to the suspects, according to an arrest report.
Officers said that the preliminary investigation of the Jan. 2 shooting indicated Denim Williams, 16, was trying to steal a phone from a married couple he and another person had agreed to purchase it from when the husband fired his gun at Williams in self-defense.
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Orlando police arrested Deandre Florence, 18, on Monday. He is charged with second-degree murder during the commission of a forcible felony.
According to the arrest warrant for Florence, the victims said they recognized Florence's voice as the person who set up the sale of the cellphone.
The couple said that they arranged the sale of the iPhone X, which was valued at $900, through the app Offer Up and went to an area near Polk and Jefferson streets around 11:50 a.m. Jan. 2 to make the sale.
While Williams and the victims were talking about the phone, Williams allegedly lunged for the phone and a struggled ensued, according to the arrest report. Florence left as Williams and the person selling the phone were fighting, detectives said.
The male victim said he was in fear for his life when he fired his gun, also believing that Williams was reaching for a gun. The couple left the scene and called 911 after the shooting to explain what happened.
Williams, who was a sophomore at Jones High School, was Orlando’s first homicide victim of 2019, according to police.
According to the investigation, messages and phone calls on Florence's cellphone show he was told to steal the cellphone by another person identified in the report as BoBo. Detectives said Florence, "BoBo" and Williams were involved in a criminal street gang responsible for multiple robberies in the Parramore area in December.
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and detectives said in the arrest report there is a strong likelihood other people will be charged in the case.