3 arrested after attempting to carjack man selling vehicle in Gaithersburg
3 arrested after attempting to steal car from man trying to sell it
Montgomery County police are issuing a reminder to be careful when arranging in-person meetups to buy and sell items through online platforms. It comes after an attempted armed carjacking in Gaithersburg. FOX 5?s David Kaplan is live for us tonight.
GAITHERSBURG, Md. - An attempted armed carjacking under investigation in Gaithersburg. Police say the victim was trying to meet up with what he thought was a potential buyer for his car.
Montgomery County Police say they’ve arrested three men in connection with an attempted armed carjacking in a neighborhood of Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg one week ago.
Timeline:
Investigators say a man was trying to sell his car, a purported buyer reached out. They agreed to meet at his house, when two armed suspects tried to take the car, and a third was in a getaway car.
Ultimately, the carjacking was not successful, and the suspects were arrested a short time later.
What they're saying:
This didn’t happen in the same police district that Montgomery County Police Commander Jason Cokinos works in, but he says to always be smart during these transactions.
"We also have distraction thefts, right, we have this at gas stations where I come to meet you, we’re talking, but then my friend goes into your car to steal your bag. So if you’re meeting someone in a place, lock your doors, don’t leave your valuables in plain view—things of that nature," he said.
While doing these transactions at your home is not recommended like in this case, we’re told the suspect was on a video call with his dad as this all happened, so police got involved very quickly, and the home had surveillance cameras that captured the entire thing and contributed to quick arrests.
Big picture view:
Police say if you’re buying or selling something online, the reminder is to always pick a very safe and public place during the day and to tell people where you’re going.
Police station parking lots are often recommended—at many you’ll see signs like this denoting it’s a safe area to buy and sell items.
FOX 5 reached out to an attorney listed for the suspects and didn’t hear back.