While denying that he robbed a woman of her cellphone, Ronson Jacob pulled the case belonging to the stolen item from his front pocket — an action that led to his arrest, police said. 

Jacob, 18, of Kalihi-Palama, remains in custody at Oahu Community Correctional Center, unable to post $15,000 bail. 

A police affidavit said Jacob walked up to a woman in a crosswalk at  King and Liliha streets and pressed a sharp object into her back, then demanded the smartphone in the white case she was holding. 

The woman believed the pointed object was a knife and gave Jacob her phone in the case. 

Less than half an hour later, the woman was at the guard shack at Mayor Wright Homes with her cousin awaiting police and saw Jacob coming out of the complex. 

The woman’s cousin confronted Jacob, who denied taking the phone, but reached into his shorts and pulled out the woman’s white phone case, the affidavit said. 

Police arrived, searched Jacob, and found the woman’s phone in his front pocket. 

He was arrested at the scene about 10 p.m. Nov. 1 and indicted Thursday on a second-degree robbery charge.