Fallon Penney, a 20-year-old woman, faces robbery and assault charges after two separate Facebook Marketplace meetups in Northeast Portland turned violent on October 15, KPTV reported. The incidents involved the theft of high-end iPhones and left one victim dragged along the pavement by a vehicle.
Two phones and a series of ambushes
The first encounter took place that afternoon at the Cricket Wireless inside the Gateway Shopping Center. A man had arranged to meet a buyer using the name “Alexis Gray” to sell a brand-new orange iPhone 17 Pro Max for $1,000. According to court records, Penney arrived with a man described as 6-foot-2.
The exchange turned into a robbery when the man snatched the phone directly from the seller’s hands. As the suspects bolted toward a car lacking license plates, the seller and his father gave chase. The pursuit ended abruptly when Penney pepper-sprayed the father in the face, allowing the pair to escape.
The violence escalated later that evening around 9:15 p.m. at Heavenly Donuts on Northeast 102nd Avenue. A young woman, believing she was meeting “Alexis Gray” to sell her own iPhone for $1,000, had the device snatched from her hand in a similar fashion. As Penney and her companion attempted to drive away, the victim grabbed onto Penney. The man began driving the vehicle, dragging the woman across the pavement until she was forced to let go.
When police interviewed the second victim, they found visible scrapes on her legs and face. The physical evidence, combined with digital forensics, allowed Portland police to link Penney to the “Alexis Gray” account.
The legal fallout and the “safe zone” struggle
Penney has since been arrested and indicted on two counts of second-degree robbery, fourth-degree assault, and the unlawful use of a stun gun, tear gas, or mace. While the primary suspect is in custody, a significant piece of the puzzle remains missing: police have not yet disclosed if the 6-foot-2 man who accompanied Penney has been arrested.
“If you’re a female, I would suggest you not go alone and you have pepper spray,” Traverso said. “Just be clear, make eye contact, stand tall. Put that energy out there that you’re not someone to mess with.”
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