Langley Mounties are searching for two suspects after a jewelry sale arranged on Craigslist turned out to be a set up for a violent robbery.
The victims, one man and one woman, agreed to sell a chain necklace and a cross to a female buyer in the parking lot of the Cineplex Colossus movie theatre at around 1 a.m. on Jan. 27.
But when the buyer arrived, she was accompanied by a male companion who proceeded to snatch the jewelry and attack the sellers with pepper-spray.
The suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle described as a light-grey, older-model pickup with an extended cab.
On Monday, almost a month after the robbery, Mounties issued a public call for help identifying the suspects, and released a composite sketch of one of them.
He is described as about 23 years old, 5-8 tall, 170 lbs. with short, light-brown hair and a very short beard. He was wearing black pants and a hoody.
The buyer is believed to be in her early 20s, 5-6 tall, 135 lbs. with bleach blond hair. She was wearing blue jeans and a hoody with a yellow logo.
The RCMP also issued a number of guidelines to follow when meeting a potential buyer or seller through Craigslist, including:
- Meet in a public place, like a café.
- Avoid meeting in secluded places or at your home.
- Use extra caution when dealing with high-value items.
- Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.
- Take a cell phone and consider having a friend accompany you.
- Trust your instincts.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Langley RCMP, or Crime Stoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.
