Gun-Wielding Robber Identified by Victim’s Sister on Facebook, Cops Say

The sister of a man hospitalized after he was pistol whipped then robbed Monday night in Middletown used Facebook to look for the suspect – and it worked, according to cops.

According to court records, the man told police he was planning to meet with the suspect – Eddie Gray, 19, of Dolores Lane in Bristol Township – for undisclosed reason at the Foxwood Manor apartments on Veterans Highway. He also told police he knew the man as Eddie from time spent at the Indian Creek basketball court.

The man got into a silver Crown Victoria-style vehicle with Gray in the backseat, an unidentified man behind the wheel and an unidentified woman in the passenger seat Monday night, police said. Gray ordered the doors of the car locked, asked the driver for the gun and then hit the man in the face and head with a black handgun at 8:30 p.m., according to authorities. The victim described the handgun to investigators as being like a police officers.

After striking the man with the gun, Gray ordered the bleeding man to hand over his $400 iPhone 4, his wallet with $150, his house key and identification, police said.

During the frightening ordeal, Gray put the gun in his mouth and threatened to kill the man if he contacted law enforcement, the victim told police.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, the incident ended when the victim was kicked out of the car near Ford Road, across from the District Court of Judge Joanne Kline, in Bristol Township. Gray and the driver kicked the victim several times while he was on the ground and the 19-year-old struck him once more with the gun, police said.

As the man was treated for head and facial injuries at the hospital, his sister began searching Facebook for the man her brother knew only as Eddie.

She found Eddie in a photograph posted on the profile of a female she is “friends” with on the social media site, police said. She told police she messaged the girl and confirmed that Gray was Eddie from the basketball courts and forwarded the information to authorities.

Officers used Gray’s state driver’s license photo and information and compared it to the Facebook data forwarded over, police said. Upon investigating, police discovered a silver Mercury Grand Marquis, a Ford-produced vehicle similar to the Crown Victoria, that was registered to Gray outside his home.

On what appears to be Gray’s Facebook profile page, a photograph from what appears to be film or TV program showing a subject with a revolver in his face is displayed. Numerous other images of drug use and weapon used, including a photo of the what appears to be Gray holding a rifle, are also posted. In a case of irony, the Facebook profile featured a photograph of a Mercury Grand Marquis, which could be the same one police used to link him to the assault and robbery.

Gray is charged with multiple counts of robbery, simple assault, aggravated assault and related offenses.

The 19-year-old was taken into custody and arraigned in front of District Justice Daniel Baranoski Tuesday. He was sent to county jail on 10 percent of $75,000 bail.