Three men have been arrested after a string of personal robberies last year targeting those buying and selling electronic devices online, the Edmonton Police Service announced Tuesday.
Between Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022, and Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022, police received five reports of personal robberies in northwest Edmonton.
In each instance, someone reportedly responded to or posted an ad regarding a tablet or cellphone that was for sale on an online buy and sell website such as Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji, and agreed to meet a buyer or seller in person at varying locations.
Upon arrival, the victim was robbed of their device and/or cash — in some cases under the threat of a weapon, police said.
As violence began to escalate with each incident, police issued a public warning last September. At the time, only minor injuries were reported by complainants.
Investigators have since confirmed all five robberies were linked and six additional personal robberies that took place in August and September of 2022 are also part of this series, including one that took place in Fort Saskatchewan. One of those robberies resulted in non-life-threatening injuries.
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In total, more than $16,000 in property was reported stolen as a result of the robberies, with thieves primarily targeting buyers and sellers with high-priced phones and tablets for sale or looking to purchase on Kijiji and Marketplace.
In September and October of this year, police arrested three men alleged to be responsible for the robberies.
Decontie Chea, 19, Everisto Yousif, 20, and a 19-year-old who was underage at the time of the offences are facing a combined total of 11 robbery charges.
The man who was a youth at the time has also been charged with two counts of using an imitation firearm while committing an indictable offence.
“We are grateful to have made arrests in this series,” said EPS investigative response team Staff Sgt. Andrew Larson.
“Personal robbery can be a traumatic experience, particularly when threatened with a weapon, and we are hopeful these arrests will bring some closure to those citizens impacted.”
Police continue to remind citizens buying/selling items online to take precautions. Here are some tips from EPS:
- Suggest meeting the buyer/seller during the day at a public location, ideally with video surveillance, such as one of the EPS Buy and Sell Exchange Zones. Do not meet in a secluded place or invite strangers into your home.
- Have someone come with you when you meet. If you cannot arrange for someone to accompany you, let friends or family know where you are going, what time you are meeting and all the details about who you are meeting, Let your contact know that everything is ok.
- Take screenshots of the buyer’s/seller’s contact information and all communications in the application or website you are using. Ask them for photo ID and other contact information and take a photo of it for your reference.
- If you are robbed of your belongings, call for help as soon as it is safe to do so and report any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activities to police.
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