Man charged in Allentown Craigslist murder

READING, Pa. (WPVI) -- A suspect has been charged in connection with the murder of an Allentown man he met through Craigslist, police say.

27-year-old Tyrell Ronald Young of Reading has been charged with homicide, robbery, illegally possessing a firearm, theft of a vehicle and receiving stolen property relating to a vehicle and a firearm.

At about 1:09 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to the 600 block of North Nelson Street in Allentown for the report of a missing person, 41-year-old Eric S. Ervin.

While searching, police found Ervin's body in his work trailer on the Nelson Street property with a gunshot wound.

Ervin used the trailer for his Aces High mobile auto detailing business. Police say a shell casing was found in close proximity to the victim.

The Lehigh County Coroner's Office determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Ervin's girlfriend told police that he had advertised a vehicle, which was a 2003 silver BMW 745 LI series, for sale on Craigslist. The girlfriend also gave police Ervin's cell phone number.

Ervin's girlfriend told police that a man with a telephone area code of 347 expressed interest in purchasing the car and had made arrangements by telephone to see the vehicle.

When police discovered the victim, the vehicle had not been located.

Police gathered records from Ervin's two cell phone numbers and determined that one 347 area code phone number was in contact with Ervin numerous times via calls and text messages in a 24-hour period.

Police obtained a court order for records, including mobile tracking information, for the phone number with the 347 area code.

The cell phone for the number was located in Reading in the area of the 100 block of South Fourth Street. Reading police dispatched units to the area, and at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, saw the BMW on the street. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was identified as Tyrell Young.

Police also located a gun that was reported stolen from Cumru Township in January.