Craigslist Sting Goes Awry For Theft Victim
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- A man suffered the loss of his valuables for a second time after attempting to track down the suspect responsible for stealing an expensive amplifier, police said.
A Natomas resident turned to the popular personal and classifieds site Craigslist to search for his stolen electronics after his car was burglarized over the weekend, discovering a listing that closely matched his missing $800 amp.
The Sacramento Police Department said the victim decided to pose as a buyer and confront the seller himself without reporting the plan to police.
When the victim met with the suspect in a bank parking lot, he confronted the alleged culprit directly, according to Sgt. Norm Leong.
"Unfortunately, when he saw his property [and] recognized it as his, he confronted the suspect," Leong said. "The suspect punched him, took the amp back and fled the area."
The victim suffered some cuts and a swollen lip but was otherwise not seriously injured, police said.
Theft victims often investigate the crime on their own through internet ads and pawn shops, but Sgt. Leong said police should be contacted before meeting a suspect face to face.
"The victim did everything right other than meeting with the suspect," he said. "If he had called us we would have responded with him and hopefully gotten his property back."
The suspect has still not been located. Police described the man as an African American male, about 6' tall with a heavy build and was driving a grey Mercury.
