Another Craigslist transaction turns violent in Glendale

For the second time in two days, thieves tried to rob a man at gunpoint in Glendale after he responded to a Craigslist ad to buy two iPhones, police said.

The robbery attempt occurred in the 500 block of Hazel Street on Friday, a day after a similar, but unrelated, incident on North Glendale Avenue, police said. In that robbery, two 19-year-old men were robbed at gunpoint at a Glendale gas station after posting an ad on Craigslist to sell seven cell phones.

In the latest incident, the 25-year-old Montebello man spoke to the seller on the phone earlier in the day regarding a Craigslist advertisement for the sale for two, 64-gigabyte iPhone 5s for $950, according to Glendale Police Department.

The same model is being sold on Apple for $399 with a wireless provider contract.

The seller told the victim that he preferred to meet on Hazel Street in Glendale because that’s where he lived.

With more than $1,000 cash in hand, the victim and his 18-year-old cousin headed to Glendale and met up with a man who said he was selling one of the phones.

A short conversation ensued before a second man suddenly jumped out of nearby bushes and pointed a black, semi-automatic handgun at the victim’s body, police said.

The man demanded that the victim hand over his belongings, including the money, police said.

The victim told the man his wallet was inside the vehicle, so he walked over to the vehicle and sat in the passenger seat to grab his wallet, police said.

During a struggle over the wallet, the victim was able to grab the gun and point it away from his head, police said.

At that point, the victim’s cousin accelerated the vehicle and they fled the area.

Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz advised against confrontations because he said “taking action like that not only puts his life in danger but could have put others in the area in danger if the gun had gone off.”

“Best thing to do is cooperate,” he said. “Property can be replaced, lives cannot. Second, don’t allow yourself to be placed in that position.”

The first man was described as Latino or white, about 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, with a mustache and wearing a dark-colored jacket. The second man was described as white, about 6 feet 1 inch tall and 170 to180 pounds. He was wearing a blue bandana with white dots over his face and a dark-colored jacket.

Anyone with details about the robbery was encouraged to call the Police Department’s robbery detail at (818) 548-3987.

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Follow Veronica Rocha on Google+ and on Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA.