Third Suspect Nabbed in Holdup of Lehigh Students

have arrested a third juvenile suspect – one who may have ties to the Crips street gang – in the armed robbery of two students in the early morning hours of Aug. 13.

Brandon Little, 17, of 656 Ridge St., is being charged as an adult with three felony counts of robbery, just like his alleged accomplices, Muhaafiz Ibn Salaam of 712 E. Sixth St. and Shaqur Watts of 522 Atlantic St., who also are both 17.

According to police, Little, Salaam and Watts Nicholas Aranaw and Elizabeth Scichonski, luring them to the 600 block of E. Sixth Street with a promise to sell them a flat screen television and some marijuana for $50.

When the students arrived to meet Watts, who had allegedly arranged the meeting, three others grabbed Aranaw from behind. Though Aranaw was able to break free, one of the males brandished a semi-automatic pistol and demanded money.

Nonetheless, the students were able to flee the attempted mugging with only minor scrapes for Aranaw and no lost property.

Little, who also goes by the street name of “Snow,” admitted to police that he and his friends, including Salaam and Watts, conspired to rob two Lehigh students, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Little, who submitted to a police interview on Friday in the presence of his attorney, , admitted that he was at the scene of the attempted robbery and that he saw the Lehigh students as “easy targets.”

Other revelations in the affidavit:

• Little supplied the cell phone that the victims were supposed to call when they arrived to meet for the exchange. Little had actually borrowed the phone from his father, Timothy.
• In a warrant search of his bedroom, police found .32-caliber, two-shot Derringer handgun, marijuana, two digital scales and Crips street gang paraphernalia.
• Little told police that he “found” the handgun and that he has a “problem” with alcohol and marijuana.

In addition to three robbery counts, Little was also charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia – all misdemeanors, according to the arrest warrant on file.

Little was arraigned in front of on-duty on Friday and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.