Two Henry County teens wanting to sell two pairs of shoes got more than they bargained for Jan. 4 when they became the victims of a robbery after picking up a car full of teens in Jonesboro and were later robbed at gunpoint in a residential area in Fayetteville.
The armed robbery occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 4, though the circumstances surrounding it began earlier in the evening, said Fayetteville Police Det. Mike Whitlow, adding that the investigation is ongoing and additional information could be forthcoming.
The events of the evening began when the victims, two Henry County teenagers, met a group of people on a website who displayed an interest in purchasing two pairs of shoes the teenagers wanted to sell, Whitlow said. The victims initially met a group of four to five people in their late teens in Jonesboro, with the idea of selling the shoes, Whitlow added. The victims and suspects were male, said Whitlow.
The victims were told that the money to purchase the shoes was in Fayetteville. With that information, the victims transported the group from Jonesboro in their vehicle to Fayetteville, said Whitlow.
Once in Fayetteville the group went to one address but ultimately ended up in a residential area on Williamsburg Way, Whitlow said. Once at the location, one of the group wanting to purchase the shoes produced a handgun. The group picked up in Jonesboro then robbed the two Henry County teens of the shoes, an expensive belt, their wallets and cell phones and fled on foot, said Whitlow.
Whitlow said several of the suspects have been identified.
Offering a word of advice, Whitlow said transacting a sale with an unknown party in a location out of the public view is not wise. Better yet, said Whitlow, “If you’re going to sell something do it in the parking lot of the police department or the sheriff’s office.”
Anyone with information pertaining to this crime is asked to contact Fayetteville Police at 770-461-4441.
