Man arrested following alleged Craigslist caper involving stolen ATV

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man has been arrested following an alleged Craigslist caper. Deputies say the man stole an all-terrain vehicle, then tried to sell it on the website for thousands of dollars.

A Cypress man has a cautionary tale about doing business on Craigslist. Not only did he buy stolen property, but he also lost the four wheeler he was trying to trade.

Jordan Griffith was looking to trade up for his 2006 Yamaha YZF four wheeler. So back in April, he logged on to Craigslist, and went to the ATV section, found this blue 2011 Kawasaki Teryx and made a deal with the seller.

"It was my four wheeler and cash for the side by side, and the deal didn't go through," Griffith told Eyewitness News.

It didn't go through because he was dealing with 26-year-old J'Gerrard Drik Thibedeaux. As of September 3, he was arrested and charged with burglary of a habitation for stealing the Teryx out of a garage.

Thibedeaux then posted it for sale on Craigslist. Without knowing, Griffith met him for the transaction. When he received a phony title, he knew it was a scam.

"At that point, they switched ATVs. As the victim was leaving, he was given the title to the ATV, and when he opened the envelope and found out it was a blank piece of paper, he knew something was not right," said Deputy Thomas Gilliland with the Harris Co. Sheriff's Office.

Griffith took the Teryx home and called the Sheriff's Office to find the rightful owner. They ran the serial number and Griffith contacted the owner.

"I called the lady the next day, and it was actually stolen out of her garage," he said.

To make matters worse, Griffith still has not gotten back his 2006 Yamaha YZF he was trading. He said he saw it also posted on Craigslist for a cheap price almost instantly and has not seen it since.

"You got to know who you are dealing with. If it sounds sketchy and too good to be true, than most likely it's sketchy," Griffith said.

The other thing that will leave your head shaking here is that investigators say Thibedeaux, the suspect, stole that Kawasaki Teryx from his friend's garage. Since he has a criminal history, he's being held without bond.

You can read more on this story in The Atascocita Observer, one of our Houston Community Newspaper partners online.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Craigslist deal turns into shoot-out

Steven Diosdado, 18, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

  KATY, TX (KTRK) -- A couple of brothers are accused of robbing men during a purported sale arranged via Craigslist.

Two men who work as phone retailers advertised on Craigslist that they wanted to buy iPhones. They told police they were contacted by an individual and met him at an apartment on August 6. When they arrived, court documents state, their contact led them to another apartment complex to meet two men who said they had phones to sell.

During the transaction, one of those men pulled out a gun and the other produced a knife, and they proceeded to rob the victims. The victims then pulled out their own guns and chased off the suspects, while exchanging gunfire.

The victims captured one man, identified in court documents as Sidney Diosdado. He was arrested at the scene by the Harris County Sheriff's Department.

Officials say Sidney gave them a false name when asked to identify his accomplice, but they later identified the second suspect as his brother, Steven Diosdado. One of the victims identified Steven from a police photo lineup.

Steven Diosdado, 18, is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Bail in the case has been set at $30,000.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Police: Man targeting victims on Craigslist

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A warning from police about a tech-savvy serial robber -- a man believed to be connected to a series of thefts. In each case, he targets his victims by finding them first on the popular website Craigslist.

The victims were lured to the same areas in the 4th Ward, downtown and Montrose. Police say it appears the thieves are interested in folks with iPhones. Now they're hoping a new composite sketch can help lead them to one of the major suspects.

Police say the man in the composite sketch is one of the players in a tech-savvy crime ring that's been targeting victims through online classifieds like Craigslist.

Houston Police Officer Michael Ybanez explained, "What happens is these victims are responding to these ads which are simply a ruse to get them to a certain part of town in order to rob them."

Detectives say the alleged crook has been going after people who've been trying to buy or sell iPhones, iPads and similar electronics.

"When they respond to the location given by the individual on the phone, they are ultimately robbed of their money, or their articles," Officer Ybanez said.

The most recent robbery happened in a parking lot in the 200 block of West Gray four weeks ago. It's where police say a young woman made arrangements to sell the unknown man her iPhone.

"However, instead of paying her the amount that was promised he simply reached in her vehicle and stole her phone and disappeared on foot into the surrounding neighborhood," Officer Ybanez said.

Investigators have been tracking about 20 similar robberies with the same MO since 2010. In each case, Officer Ybanez says the victims were lured to areas in the 4th Ward near Midtown or downtown.

He said, "I would say anytime a robbery happens, that there's a danger element involved and you need to be concerned for your personal safety."

Police believe the man in the sketch is well known in the area. The victims describe him as early to mid-20s, with a slim build and a pronounced gap in his teeth.

Anyone with information about the man in that sketch is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Houston Craigslist Cars

Police: Meeting set up on Craigslist ends in shooting

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A meeting set up on Craigslist ended in a shooting late last night in southwest Harris County.

It happened outside the Walmart on Highway 6 and Parkwest Central. Deputies say the victim and a friend went to the store to meet a man who responded to a Craigslist ad for some shoes.

During the deal, the man pulled a gun and shot the victim twice. He's in critical condition.

Deputies say the two men realized they knew the suspect once they met him. They're now looking for him.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Houston Craigslist Cars, Smart Tactic to Implement

Houston Craigslist Cars Obstacles

Family loses life savings in Craigslist realty scam

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A Houston couple searching for a home to rent says they were scammed out of thousands of dollars after responding to an ad in Craigslist, and their loss could serve as a warning to you.

The Veaches found what they had hoped to be their dream home, but their efforts to rent it turned out to be their worst nightmare.

For Shelly and Ron Veach, this will definitely be a Christmas to remember, but for all the wrong reasons.

"It's been devastating. I would say devastating," Shelly said.

The Veaches' troubles began eight months ago when they entered into a lease-to-purchase agreement on a pre-foreclosed home. They found the property on Craigslist and contacted the man claiming to be an investor interested in buying the property to renovate and flip.

"He said he had the deal locked up and that he was going to sell it to me on contract. I met him and we signed some contracts," Ron said.

And then Ron paid him $5,000 in earnest money, got the keys and wrote another check for $10,000 for repairs.

"He kept saying he was going to come by and do the repairs, and as soon as he cashed the check, you wouldn't hear from him, wouldn't hear from him, wouldn't hear from him -- he always had an excuse," Ron said.

Ron says he became suspicious when the alleged homeowner asked him for even more money, so he called the listing agent. She told us the same thing she told the Veaches.

"I got all the paperwork from the owner out of California, tried to meet up with him on at least five occasions and every time, he alluded me for one reason or another and he would just never consummate the deal," Real Estate agent Celina Stokes said.

The Harris County District Attorney's Consumer Protection Division is investigating and the case is set to go before a grand jury early next year. We called the man on the number he gave the Veaches, but it went to voice mail.

"The man needs to be stopped period," Ron said.

Meanwhile, the Veaches, a family of five, are out $15,000 - their entire life savings.

"I'll never get my money back, but at least we can have satisfaction knowing that he's not doing this to someone else," Ron said.

The alleged investor has a pending case, we're told, has a pending case out of Brownsville on an unauthorized sale of a motor vehicle. We're told he failed to appear in court on the day of his trial and a warrant has not been issued for his arrest.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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