Man accused of taking 5-year-old boy's cell phone

Jerrome Dominick, 22, of Galveston, is charged with robbery after he snatched a cell phone from a 5-year-old boy and fled Jerrome Dominick, 22, of Galveston, is charged with robbery after he snatched a cell phone from a 5-year-old boy and fled Photo: Galveston PD Photo: Galveston PD Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Man accused of taking 5-year-old boy's cell phone 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A tip from a concerned citizen led Galveston police to a man who allegedly robbed a 5-year-old boy of his cell phone this weekend as he played at a park, according to Galveston police.

Jerrome Dominick, 22, of Galveston, has been charged with robbery, police said. He was being held Tuesday in the Galveston County Jail under $25,000 bail.

The boy was playing with friends about 8 p.m. Saturday at Wright Cuney Park, 718 41st. St., when the suspect walked up, pushed him down, snatched his cell phone and fled into the nearby Sandpiper Cove Apartments at 39th and Winnie streets, said Lt. Michael Gray of the Galveston Police Department.

The boy's family, who was with him at the park, called police. As officers were interviewing the boy, a citizen approached and identified the suspect, Gray said. A witness called Dominick's personal cell phone and he returned to the scene, where the boy identified him, police said.

"It's deplorable. It's terrible," Gray said of the robbery. "When you're an adult, a 5 year old is the most innocent among us. I don't know what would drive an adult to rob a child. It's baffling to me."

If convicted of the second-degree felony offense, Dominick faces two to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.