Police: 2 bought iPhone with fake cash, killed seller

Pontiac – Two men are charged in a recent street killing that investigators believe resulted when the suspects bought an iPhone from the victim with counterfeit cash.

Jaylen Rouser and Henry Brown, both 18-year-old Pontiac residents, were arraigned Tuesday in the fatal shooting of Dominique Grandberry, 33, of Pontiac.

Grandberry was found about 7 p.m. Thursday lying outside his Chevrolet Suburban on Earlmoor near Woodward, his car keys clutched in his hand.

Detectives with the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office believe the pair had met up with Grandberry at a nearby McDonald’s restaurant parking lot and paid for the device with fake $100 bills.

After realizing he had been duped, Grandberry drove after the pair, who were on foot, and when he confronted them, was shot multiple times. He later died at an area hospital.

Detectives and the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Team officers developed leads in the case and tracked down the pair. The .22 caliber handgun believed to be the murder weapon has been recovered, according to a news release.

Both are charged with felony murder, firearm offense, conspiracy to commit larceny by false pretenses, and larceny by false pretenses. They were arraigned Tuesday from the Oakland County Jail by video and ordered held without bond in jail pending a Feb. 8 pre-examination conference in Pontiac 50th District Court.

mmartindale@detroitnews.com

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