Advertise for your robbery victims, why not?

By now, you have likely heard about this latest Craiglist crime twist to hit the hills, where the perp lists a car for sale and lures potential buyers to Montclair or Rockridge.  The unsuspecting shopper shows up and gets robbed at gunpoint…lovely.

Here’s what was shared on the Montclair Safety board:

In the Craigslist crime, the robber places an ad on Craigslist advertising a car for sale and provides his own (cell) phone number.  Victims call to inquire about the car, and the robber arranges a meeting at a quiet address, possibly yours.  The victim comes to your house and asks about the car for sale.  You know nothing about it, and turn the victim away.  As he starts to leave, the victim is accosted and robbed.

In the incident on Sunday night, the criminal was seen walking around the block prior to the crime.  He was well dressed, talking on his cell phone, and not particularly remarkable, except that he was wearing a black knit cap.  During the crime, he pulled the cap — actually a black ski mask — down over his face.  This time, the perp was an African American.

An eyewitness called the police and several cruisers were here on the scene in minutes, but not quite fast enough this time.

Wow, our homes are hosting  this “trusted seller” routine.  Our streets are pretty quiet, unless there’s a kid playing or a neighbor walking a dog – so be on the lookout.  We should be able to help the cops nab this guy soon.