Craigslist seller returns fire after being led into trap

Craigslist seller returns fire after being led into trap

Submitted by cbaus on Thu, 03/04/2010 - 15:11. Guns in the News
An Ohio man is recovering from a gunshot wound after being attacked in an ambush by people who told had lured him to Dayton on the promise of buying his car, which he had advertised on Craigslist.com.

As it turns out, however, the car thieves weren't the only ones carrying guns.

From Cincinnati's ABC affiliate, WCPO.com:

The victim named "Chris" – who didn't want to give his last name – traveled to Dayton, Ohio to sell his 1986 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 after listing the car for sale on craigslist. After meeting the buyer to pay for the car, someone ambushed and shot him, then stole the car.

Chris says the buyer first contacted him and told him he would pay cash for his car.

"My girlfriend's dad told me not to come up here [Dayton]. He said. 'Don't do it, make him come down to Cincinnati to get it.' I should have listened," said Chris, from his Dayton area hospital bed.

Chris had surgery Monday to insert a rod to repair his leg. He continues to recover.

Chris says that he, the prospective buyer and his girlfriend, all met in Dayton then traveled down to Cincinnati to notarize the title.

"I go to ask him for the money and he says 'I forgot the money in Dayton', so I said 'Okay'. That's when it started getting a little bit fishy," said Chris.

He said the buyer kept telling him different locations to meet to get the money. Chris said they ended up meeting on a dead-end street.

He said his girlfriend texted him, warning him she saw a gun in someone's pocket just before a man appeared and shot him in the leg.

According to the story, that's when Chris' girlfriend, who drove in a second car, pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Chris also had a gun and fired back.

"Never once did it cross my mind that I would have to use my gun," said Chris.

Both Chris and his girlfriend got about four blocks away before calling police for help.

Cincinnati Police say if you're selling on craigslist, always meet in public and tell a friend.

"You don't want someone tricking you to go down a small street where you can easily be robbed," said Sergeant Eric Franz, with Cincinnati Police. "You want to meet them in a public place, a Bob Evans, a gas station, somewhere with a lot of people and surveillance equipment."

As for Chris, he wants others to learn from his mistake.

"Don't ever take anything to them. Make them come to you," said Chris.

According to the story, Dayton police have arrested 20-year-old Terrill Garret in the case. He's charged with felonious assault and aggravated assault.

The stolen Camaro still hasn't been recovered.