Tuesday January 7, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
West Shore RCMP is currently investigating two reports about robbery and theft of phones.
One case involves a robbery and the other a theft of iPhones that were being sold via Facebook Marketplace.
Both reports were received on the evening of January 5, 2025, says West Shore RCMP Media Relations Office Cpl Nancy Saggar.
Hockley Ave incident:
The first incident took place outside near the 800 block of Hockley Avenue in Langford at approximately 7 pm.
Police learned a seller agreed to meet with a male suspect in order to facilitate the sale of an iPhone. The suspect is alleged to have attempted to steal the iPhone from the seller and assaulted the seller in the process. The suspect then ran on foot towards Goldstream Ave.
Jacklin Rd incident:
The second incident took place at approximately 7:30 pm outside the 3100 block of Jacklin Road in Langford. The seller agreed to meet with the suspect who is alleged to have stolen the iPhone from the seller and then run away on foot.
Police conducted extensive patrols of the respective areas at the time of the reports but did not locate the suspect.
Description:
The suspect is described as:
- 15-20 year old young man of Middle Eastern decent;
- brown curly hair;
- brown eyes;
- clean shaven face;
- wearing a green zip up hoodie, black baggy pants, white Air Force style shoes.
Information to police:
If you know who this suspect could be or have information that could help police, people are asked to contact West Shore RCMP by calling 250-474-2264. Report anonymously online or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
West Shore RCMP File # 2025-298 and 299
Safety tips:
There is an inherent risk to selling or purchasing items directly from unknown persons. Police are advising the public to take safety precautions while engaging in online digital selling platforms.
Some safety tips to consider:
- Meet up during daylight hours;
- Pick a well-lit place to meet up that has video surveillance; a police detachment is a good choice;
- Take a friend or family member with you to the meet;
- Rely on contactless pickup when possible, using secure electronic money transfers for payment.
For more information and safety tips regarding online digital marketplace.