WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Jan. 11, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A 19-year-old man was expecting to sell a pair of shoes Friday night, but the “buyer” had different plans.
Lt. Steve Burke, with the West Valley City Police Department, said the victim had been attempting to sell the shoes on Facebook Messenger when he was contacted by someone who claimed to be interested in buying them.
The two agreed to meet at the Family Dollar store at 4760 W. 4715 South, but then “the guy tried to get (the victim) to go to his apartment,” Burke told Gephardt Daily.
Ultimately, seller and “buyer” met on the street, where the suspect pulled a gun and demanded the shoes. When the victim wasn’t willing to give up the shoes, the suspect hit him with his gun hand, grabbed the shoes and fled.
Police checked the suspect’s Facebook page, Burke said, but it appears to be a fake account.
No further information about the incident was available, and Lt. Burke wasn’t sure what brand of shoes was involved. He had some advice, though, for West Valley residents who are planning to meet up with strangers to sell or swap items, or for adults who are exchanging children in a difficult custody situation.
“The West Valley City police station doesn’t have a specific place for people to exchange items…there’s so much construction going on now, we can’t set up a designated spot for that,” he said. “But people can go to City Hall where there are surveillance cameras. Stay near the building. Or go to the Trax platform. There are cameras there.”
Anyone who may have witnessed the robbery, or who has any information about this incident, is asked to call West Valley City Police at 801-840-4000.
