Man Shot, Beaten And Robbed in Craigslist Car Deal Gone Bad

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Man Shot, Beaten And Robbed in Craigslist Car Deal Gone Bad

http://www.ktvu.com/news/18747670/detail.html

EAST PALO ALTO -- An East Bay man was shot and robbed in East Palo Alto Tuesday evening when he showed up to buy a vehicle advertised on Craigslist, according to the police department.

Officers responded to a local emergency room at about 6:50 p.m. where Alex Garcia, 22, was being treated for a gunshot wound, according to the East Palo Alto Police Department.

Garcia told police he went to the 1700 block of East Bayshore Road after arranging to purchase a vehicle through the website Craigslist. He contacted the supposed seller in a parking lot and then was told to go to another one at 1830 W. Bayshore Road.

Police reported that while Garcia was checking out the vehicle "for sale," three men with handguns confronted him and demanded the $1,300 cash he had brought for the vehicle he thought he was going to buy.

A fight ensued, during which Garcia was pistol-whipped several times and wounded when a gunshot grazed his head, according to police.

[riverdeep]

1. Oh, I hate hearing things like this.

I've had to sell stuff on craigslist recently and that was one of the things I was always worried about. A couple of times, people have come to my place to check out the items and that makes me nervous. Really, everything went very well. The people I've dealt with have all been surprisingly courteous and straight forward and not shady at all. You can often tell by the vibe they give off in their email. But stuff like this is always at the back of your mind.

Sometimes we have met in a public area and that is the way to go for security but it's kind of a hassle if you have large items that need to be tested.

[Fumesucker]

2. I had a craigslist car deal that felt like it could have been something similar..

Got bad vibes and decided to get out while the getting was good.

Any time you are dealing with largish quantities of cash with relatively anonymous people there is always at least a hint of danger.

I'm a fairly good sized guy and my brother was with me and he is considerably bigger, we both were made uneasy by the "seller's" behavior. I can't really put my finger on anything specific but I would advise everyone doing business through craigslist to be aware of their surroundings and remain alert for possible danger.

[lurky]

3. Rule #1: Don't bring cash!

If you decide to make the purchase, go to the bank and get the money after you check out the car/whatever. I think most people can understand you not wanting to carry around that kind of money. Any seller who demands you bring cash to your first meeting is probably trouble.

[Canuckistanian]

4. I don't see why Craigslist needs to be singled out here

It could have been a newspsper ad or a notice on a bulletin board somewhere.

In fact, the theives did something incredibly stupid. They've left a digital signature of their post which can now be traced AND the address of an accomplice.

[riverdeep]

5. Yeah, that is one of the things that eased my mind some.

Now, I suppose someone could set up a fake email account, use someone else's computer, and come by my place and rob me, but I'd still have some kind of a description and might be able to catch a vehicle ID. They'd have to kill me to keep me from saying anything, and the kind of money we're talking about is chump change so I doubt its worth anyone's trouble.

And there's all kinds of scams out there, it's true. There's one where a woman comes up to your door asking to use the phone or the bathroom or something. Because it's a woman, people let their guard down a bit. That's when the guy jumps out and pushes through your opened door.

[annarbor]

6. I sold a car on Craigslist....

And I made the seller meet me at 12pm in front of the Police Department to complete the transaction. If they're dirty they probably won't show up. If it's a clean deal, most everyone will be relieved. I followed the same plan when I sold my car on Ebay.

I just bought a Playstation for my son and we met in the parking lot of a very busy store at 6pm....both of us were happy.

You have to be careful when dealing with large sums of cash.

Ann Arbor