Police: Man selling shoes to buyer he met online robbed at gunpoint in Pittsburgh neighborhood
By MADELINE BARTOS
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man was arrested after police said he arranged a meeting with another man selling a pair of shoes and then robbed him at gunpoint in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood.
Police said officers found the victim after they were dispatched to Davis Avenue near Fleming and McClure avenues for reports of an armed robbery around 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday.
The victim told police he was in the area to sell shoes after connecting with the suspect, who posed as a potential buyer through an online platform. But when the two met up, police said the suspect pulled out a gun and robbed the victim.
Police said they were able to track down the suspect and arrest him. He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. Police didn’t release his identity but said charges will be coming.
It’s not the first time someone selling a pair of shoes was robbed in the Pittsburgh area this year. Ross Township police said a sale of Air Jordans on Facebook Marketplace in May ended with three teenagers arrested.
In that case, the seller told police he arranged to meet the buyer outside the Chick-fil-A in Ross and sell him the shoes for $800. But police said the buyer and two other teenagers ended up threatening the seller with a gun, taking the shoes and taking off. Police said the seller’s father then chased them only to be hit by their car.
Ross Township police said they have “safe exchange zones” for people who are selling things online. The Ross Township deputy police chief said it’s always a good idea to meet in public when buying or selling something online, but you’re even safer at a police station where there are cameras.
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