Erie man charged, second suspect sought in reported robbery of pair looking to buy shoes

Two men looking to buy sneakers told Erie police they were instead robbed of their possessions at gunpoint during a meeting on the city's east side on Friday night.

Police on Wednesday charged one of two suspects in the crime, and said they were continuing their efforts to identify and apprehend the second suspect on Thursday.

The suspect caught by police, 18-year-old Onyaye Grandberry, of Erie, was arraigned Wednesday afternoon on four felony counts of robbery, two felony counts of conspiracy to commit robbery, and misdemeanor counts of theft, receiving stolen property and possessing an instrument of crime. He is accused of robbing the two victims of items including cellphones, a wallet, cash, a MacBook and AirPods, according to information in his criminal complaint.

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The two people who said they were robbed told Erie police they agreed to meet up with a person they identified as Grandberry to buy sneakers, and they were directed to meet at a location in the 2000 block of East 10th Street. After Grandberry got into their vehicle and the victims examined the sneakers he had, the victims said an unknown male arrived with a gun, entered the vehicle and demanded their property, police wrote in the affidavit filed with Grandberry's complaint.

The victims said they were then ordered to drive to a park, where the suspects fled, according to police.

No one was reported injured In the robbery.

Erie 6th Ward District Judge Timothy Beveridge set Grandberry's bond at 10% of $15,000 at his arraignment Wednesday afternoon. He is tentatively scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on May 15.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie PA man charged, second suspect sought in armed robbery of pair