Development Services News

Two Suspects Arrested in Robbery Tied to Facebook Marketplace Transaction

On January 21, 2025, at approximately 7:30 p.m., officers and paramedics were dispatched to a business parking lot in the 3300 block of SW Third Street on the report of a robbery. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim, who stated he had come to the parking lot to sell an iPad to a buyer on Facebook marketplace. The victim stated that when the two female buyers arrived, he handed them the iPad and allowed them to inspect it; as he was leaning in the vehicle, the passenger sprayed him in the face with pepper spray and the two women tried to drive away with the item in their possession. As the females sped from the parking lot, the victim was dragged along the side of the vehicle. The victim suffered lacerations and broken bones as a result. Unknown to the suspects, the victim had dropped his phone inside the vehicle during the struggle and officers tracked the suspects to an address in Kansas City, Missouri. When the vehicle fled from officers, a pursuit was initiated, which crossed over the state line into Kansas. The two women were eventually apprehended by the Kansas Highway Patrol and returned to Missouri to face felony charges. Both defendants were charged with 1^st Degree Robbery as well as assault and held on no-bond warrants.

The case serves as a good reminder to always be vigilant about safety when meeting buyers or sellers for online transactions. The Lee’s Summit Police Department has a designated internet exchange area in our front parking lot; the space is well-lit and has surveillance cameras.