Three new robbery arrests

Published 8:16 pm Friday, January 29, 2010

Suffolk police have made three more arrests in connection with a robbery that took place when a real-life contact arranged through the Internet’s popular Facebook service turned sour.

Bruce Dignard Jr., 18, turned himself in to police on Thursday, and Bradley Scott Sordelet, 25, was arrested after a citizen called police and reported his location in Chesapeake, according to Suffolk spokesperson Debbie George. Sordelet was subsequently arrested without incident in a traffic stop on Victory Boulevard.

Another suspected, a 16-year-old boy, also was charged in connection with the case, bring to four the total number of related arrests, George sated in a press release. A 16-year-old girl was the first to be arrested and charged.

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Police allege that the incident took place after the girl invited a 24-year-old man with whom she had been chatting for several weeks via Facebok — a popular social media Web site — to meet her in person.

The man arrived at the scheduled meet at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and was approached by three males armed with firearms, according to police reports. They took his wallet, his cell phone and tools from his vehicle, George stated on Wednesday.

Police first identified the girl suspected in the robbery, and then on Wednesday they put out a call for help from the public in locating the other suspects.

Dignard and Sordelet are being held at Western Tidewater Regional Jail without bond. Each of the juveniles was taken to Tidewater Detention Home after being detained.