FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno police have arrested two people accused of using the Craigslist online service to find and rob their victims.
A 16-year-old boy was booked into Fresno County Juvenile Hall and a 22-year-old man was booked into Fresno County Jail on Wednesday night on suspicion of armed robbery.
Sgt. Anthony Dewall said the victims used Craigslist to try to sell property, especially cellular telephones. The victims were contacted and asked to meet a buyer in a public place, where their property was taken without payment.
Dewall said the thieves grew increasingly violent and the crimes escalated from petty theft to armed robbery. In all, 10 people were victimized, including four at gunpoint and one at knifepoint.
About 10 p.m. Wednesday, a man who had agreed to meet a buyer for his phone arrived at a shopping mall near Marks and Ashlan avenues to complete the transaction. He met three people, one of whom grabbed the phone and ran to a nearby apartment complex, Dewall said. The other two suspects offered to go with the victim to the complex to get the phone back. Once there, one of the suspects drew a handgun and demanded the victim's wallet.
The victim was able to contact police and officers located an apartment in which two suspects were hiding, Dewall said.
Read the full story at fresnobee.com.