Craigslist posters robbed at gunpoint

By Ari Burack, Bay City News Service

July 17, 2006

WALNUT CREEK (BCN) - An advertisement on the Craiglist.org Web site led to an armed robbery in a Walnut Creek Target store parking lot Sunday night, Lt. Mark Covington of the Walnut Creek Police Department reported.

According to Covington, the victims, who were from the Livermore-Pleasanton area, posted some hooded jackets for sale on the Web site. They arranged to meet with the suspects to sell the jackets at the Walnut Creek Target store at 1871 N. Main St.

At about 8:20 p.m. the two suspects, both Asian males about 16 to 19 years old, arrived in the parking lot in a black Lexus. One of the suspects then pulled a silver handgun and pointed it at one of the victims, reportedly saying "This is how we're going to do this.''

As the suspects made off with 11 jackets, they flashed a gang sign and said, "This is West Pittsburg,'' according to Covington.

The suspects left in the Lexus and were last seen driving out of the south driveway of the Target store, Covington said.

The first suspect, who was the driver, was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, 130 pounds, and was wearing a white T-shirt, blue jeans and a gold "grill.''

The second suspect was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 145 to 150 pounds, and was wearing a white ball cap with the word "Vietnamese'' on it and a white T-shirt. He carried a silver semi-automatic handgun with brown grips.

The suspects' vehicle was described as a black Lexus four-door with paper plates.

No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing and police have not yet located the suspects, Covington said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Walnut Creek Police Department at (925) 943-5844.

In an apparently unrelated incident approximately three weeks ago, San Jose police reported a series of armed robberies by a suspect posing as a seller or buyer on the Craigslist.org Web site.

That suspect was described a black man between the ages of 18 and 25, standing 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, weighing between 140 to 160 pounds with a "thin but muscular build.''

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