A Reading man was jailed after police said he tried to buy a French bulldog with counterfeit money and pulled a gun when the seller confronted him.
City police said the victim told officers he met 23-year-old Joshua Gomez, whom he knew from a previous workplace, around 10 p.m. Friday at 10th and Cotton streets to sell him a French bulldog for $1,000 — the price they had agreed on through Facebook messages.
According to court records:
The victim said he handed the dog to Gomez, who in turn handed him a stack of assorted bills. That’s when the deal went bad.
The victim quickly realized the bills were fake and confronted Gomez. Gomez then pulled out a black pistol with an extended magazine, keeping the barrel pointed toward the ground but causing the victim to fear for his life. Gomez then fled the scene with the dog.
The victim immediately called police, saying he had been robbed by someone he knew. Officers located Gomez at his residence in the 1000 block of Culvert Street.
Gomez admitted to acquiring the dog but claimed it had run away. Police found the French bulldog in a nearby yard and returned it to the victim.
Gomez was taken into custody, and officers seized a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine from his pocket. Police later obtained a search warrant for his home.
In an upstairs bedroom, investigators found a 9mm Glock pistol equipped with an auto sear — a device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon — along with a fully loaded extended magazine. They also recovered a loaded .22-caliber pistol that was confirmed as stolen.
Gomez was charged with robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, making terroristic threats, carrying a firearm without a license, and criminal use of a communication facility.
He was committed to Berks County Jail in lieu of $85,000 bail following arraignment before District Judge Brian K. Strand in Reading Central Court.