LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Bluegrass Crime Stoppers are searching for a suspect believed to be at the center of three December theft incidents.
According to police, officers responded to the 100 block of Tiverton Way for a robbery on December 23, where the suspect pulled a gun.
Only three days later, they returned to the same neighborhood for a reported theft, which was caught on camera by the victim, Tyler Murphy’s vehicle.
Later that day, officers were also sent to Walden Drive for another reported theft.
According to Detective Kristyn Klingshirn, the suspect at the center of the crimes initiated contact with the victims on an online marketplace and arranged to meet in person to purchase some items.
“They make arrangements to meet, when the victim removes items from vehicles, the suspect takes the property and flees the area on foot without paying ,” said Klingshirn.
For Murphy, the theft doubly caught him off guard, explaining to LEX 18 that he’s had at least 50 other successful transactions from Facebook Marketplace.
“I typically sell through Facebook Marketplace because I am a small business and I can't afford the overhead and credit cards and things like that,” said Murphy.
Last year, Tyler Murphy launched M Technologies, building specialized computers for gaming, video editing, and 3D software.
When someone reached out on Facebook Marketplace about purchasing one of his $1,600 computers, he didn’t think twice. The man, whose account has since been deleted, asked Murphy to meet on Tiverton Way.
“He asked all the right questions, frames per second, graphic cards, everything someone knowledgeable about computers would ask,” said Murphy.
Then, the tone shifted, as caught on video from Murphy’s vehicle’s camera.
“When I was putting it back in the box and taping it up for him, I said ‘Okay, how do you want to pay?’ and he asked the price again, I told him it was $1,600, and he was like ‘$1,600?’ and just picked up the box and just scoots off, just runs away.”
According to Murphy, it will take ten more computer sales to make up for the one lost.
Despite meeting in public and in the daylight, as he’s done 50 times before, the transaction ended in theft.
“You can do a hundred things right, but still something is gonna go wrong like this case shows you,” said Klinshirn.
If you recognize the suspect, you can submit an anonymous tip to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers here. http://www.bluegrasscrimestoppers.com/sitemenu.aspx?ID=710&
