The victim told police he was selling an iPhone to a person through Marketplace, but while he was waiting for a buyer to arrive, the suspect pointed a gun at him.
MONROE, N.C. — A Monroe teenager has been identified as the suspect in multiple recent robberies, according to the Monroe Police Department.
Police said the robberies were facilitated using Facebook Marketplace.
On Dec. 7, police responded to East Sunset Drive near the intersection with Sunset Lane after a reported robbery. The victim told police he was selling an iPhone to a person through Marketplace, but while he was waiting for the buyer to arrive, the suspect pointed a gun at him then stole the phone and ran away.
Then on Dec. 15, Monroe Police responded to another robbery at the same location. The victim in that robbery told police they were selling high-end sneakers. The victim said they tried to meet at a more populated parking lot, but the suspect insisted on meeting on East Sunset Drive. Once there, the victim told police the suspect took the sneakers.
The teen suspect’s identity won’t be released as he is a minor, police said. He will be charged through the Department of Juvenile Justice. Monroe Police said as of 10 a.m. Friday, the teen is not in custody.
Monroe Police encourage people to use caution when using person-to-person selling platforms like Facebook Marketplace by meeting in safe public spaces, taking someone with you, not sharing personal information, being wary of people with few profile photos or posts or people who seem pushy, and avoiding deals that seem too good to be true.
“Your safety is most important, if something does not seem right then it likely isn’t,” the police department said.
