Selfie snapping robber suspect arrested

La Vorne Lee Bennett. Photo/ Bexar County Sheriff’s Office La Vorne Lee Bennett. Photo/ Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Selfie snapping robber suspect arrested 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A 23-year-old San Antonio man has been arrested after a self shot photograph of himself went public following his alleged armed robbery of a 21-year-old man a little more than a week ago.

La Vorne Lee Bennett, or “Lee,” as he introduced himself to the 21-year-old, is accused of luring the younger man to a parking lot on the 2000 block of Austin Highway on the Northeast Side to exchange an iPhone 5S for $200, according to a police report.

Bennett supposedly had an initial encounter with the victim and said he didn't have the phone with him, but arranged to meet him an hour later at a parking lot near a meat market, police said.

During their second encounter Bennett is accused of pulling out a Glock pistol after getting in the victim's car and then demanding his money. While the victim was trying to hand over his money Bennett grabbed the victim's iPhone from a cup holder in the center console, according to police.

After taking the money and the phone Bennett allegedly took the victim's wallet as well. A detective working on the case said that Bennett then took the victim's car keys and left the scene by foot. After 10 minutes the victim went to the meat market and asked to borrow a customer's phone to call the police.

Two weeks after the robbery the victim bought a new cell phone. While downloading photos from his old phone to his new phone that had been stored using iCloud, the victim saw several photos that Bennett had taken of himself.

The victim sent the photos to the detective working on the case, according to the affidavit, who then created a media release using Bennett's “selfies.” The media release resulted in a crime stoppers tip alerting the police to his identity. Police where able to match a mug shot on file for Bennett to the self portraits he had taken using the stolen phone. Bennett was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated robbery. As of Friday afternoon Bennett was being held in the Bexar County jail without bond.

dpalacio@express-news.net