MURFREESBORO, TN (WSMV) -
A woman who tried to buy a car from a man on Craigslist thought she took the proper steps to stay safe, but she was robbed at gunpoint last weekend in Murfreesboro.
The woman didn't want to go on camera but told us she thought she did everything right.
She was interested in buying a black Honda Accord and met the seller in a well-lit parking lot Saturday outside Priceless IGA grocery store on South Church Street.
She test-drove the car around the parking lot a few times and talked the price down from $8,000 to $7,000
"After she was presented with a bill of sale, she read it over and handed it back to the seller," said Murfreesboro police spokesman Sgt. Kyle Evans. "He then pulled out a gun and demanded the cash she had on her person."
He robbed her of the $7,500 she had on her from selling her car.
"This is no doubt a very scary experience for the victim in this case, and we want to do anything we can to catch this person, and we want to make sure no one else become a victim," Evans said.
The victim's mechanic was supposed to come with her to check out the vehicle. She said if she had waited 20 extra minutes for him, this may not have happened.
"We have some good leads in this case," Evans said. "Any time you use an online medium to conduct this type of business, there is a trail."
Police are offering a few tips to keep folks safe who buy items online.
"It's very, very important that you do so in a public place, we recommend the lobby of the police department or the parking lot where it's a secure and safe environment," Evans said. "If you choose somewhere, do it in a very safe place, take someone with you. The more you do to protect your safety, the more you'll scare away criminals who would want to take your money or do you harm."
The victim said this is the fifth time she has either bought or sold items on Craigslist, and she said the one time she let her guard down, this is what happened. So she is encouraging others to take precaution.
The victim describes the suspect as a 50- to 55-year-old white male with shoulder-length salt and pepper hair. She said he used his left hand to hold the gun and used the first name Aaron.
If you have information that could help police, call Crimestoppers at 615-893-STOP.
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