Victim’s cellphone photo of armed robbers leads to arrest, police say

A victim’s cellphone photo of a group he said robbed him at knifepoint has led to at least one arrest, Bethlehem police said.

Taron Walker, who was 17 at the time of the July 4 crime but has since turned 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy.

Walker, of Hanover Township, Northampton County, was sent to county prison in lieu of $100,000 bail, where he remained as of Friday morning.

The victim dialed 911 a little before 5:30 p.m. on July 4 to report being robbed near Lynn Avenue and East 10th Street in Bethlehem.

The man said he was sitting in his car, when a male, later identified as Walker, and two others knocked on the car window.

Walker asked the man if he had any water, and the victim said he had some in his trunk, according to police.

The victim got out of the car and began to walk to the trunk, when Walker grabbed the victim from behind and held a steak knife to the victim’s abdomen, police said.

Walker told a second person, whom police have not publicly identified, to go through the victim’s pockets, and a third unknown person appeared to serve as a lookout, authorities said.

The second person stole $180 in cash from the victim, and the trio fled. The victim followed, and took a cellphone photo of all three, catching Walker as he looked back, police said.

Police said they knew one of the people in the photo, Walker, from “prior encounters” and filed charges against him that day.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

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