Man Robbed while Attempting to Buy Handgun off of Craigslist

Creekside Park at 6th Avenue and Oklahoma Street. Image-Google Maps

At 4:32 PM on October 24, 2018, Anchorage Police responded to a park at E 6^thAvenue and Oklahoma Street in reference to reports of a robbery. Police met with the adult male victim who stated he had responded to an ad on Craig’s List and agreed to purchase a handgun from the seller. The two met at the park. The victim signed a Bill of Sale and then handed the suspect $400 in cash. The suspect loaded the gun, racked the slide, pointed it at the victim, and told the victim to walk away. The suspect then fled the scene on foot with both the gun and the victim’s money.

The suspect has been described as a black male adult in his mid-20s with a scruffy beard and acne on his face. The suspect was last seen wearing a two-tone black hoody (unknown on what the other color was) and dark gray sweatpants.

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call non-emergency Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1). To remain anonymous you may contact Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP or online at www.anchoragecrimestoppers.com.

As a reminder to citizens who buy and/or sell items privately, here are some precautions to take:

Never go to the meet alone. Have at least one other person with you. Make sure another individual, who is not with you, knows where you are, what you are doing, and any details you have about the other party you are meeting.
Meet in a public place that has cameras and a lot of foot traffic such as a superstore parking lot.
Meet during a busy time of day – not late at night or early in the morning when there are not many other people around.
If the party you are meeting arrives in a vehicle, jot down the license plate and a description of the vehicle.
Pay attention to the physical attributes of the people you are meeting with in case you need to give a detailed description of them to the police later.
Only deal in cash. Checks and cashier checks can easily be forged. Pay attention to the money you accept. Make sure it looks and feels the way money should.
Should you be threatened, do as the victim did in the above scenario: follow the instructions of the suspect(s), leave the area as soon as possible, and call 9-1-1 as quickly as you can.