Two teenage suspects from Houston are on the run after allegedly running a Facebook Marketplace scam and robbing victims, police said.
Arland Lyles, 17, is wanted on charges of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and theft from a person, and Christian Ray Pickett, 18, is wanted on a charge of theft from a person. Additional charges are pending, according to the Houston Police Department (HPD).
HPD's Robbery Division announced in a press release that at least two suspects, Lyles and Pickett, are wanted in connection with a series of incidents stemming from Facebook Marketplace. In this case, the suspects used fake profiles to pose as sellers, meet buyers in person, and rob them.
HPD officials believe additional suspects posing as fake sellers on Facebook Marketplace may be involved. Investigators say robberies have occurred in at least 15 locations since Sept. 21, with 15 different victims.
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Christian Ray Pickett, 18, and Arland Lyles, 17, are wanted in connection with a series of Facebook Marketplace robberies. (Houston Police Department)
Facebook Marketplace is a subsection of Facebook where any user can buy and sell items from other users.
Although social media selling platforms have certain protections in place for buyers, scammers are rampant who use fake profile pictures and names to pretend to be someone else online. For example, scammers may use fake profile photos of elderly couples or young families to appear like realistic sellers.
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HPD said 15 robberies have occurred in “various apartment complex parking lots in southeast Houston” since September.
Lyles allegedly pointed a gun at the mother of a family of five who were driving to a meeting point while the mother's 15-year-old son was just a few feet away. The father and two other children, ages 8 and 10, evacuated by hunkering down in their car, the report said. ABC13.
The Houston Police Department said 15 robberies have occurred in “various apartment complex parking lots in southeast Houston” since September. (Lauren Elliott/Getty Images)
They were planning to buy a PlayStation 5 from Mr. Lyles. Before meeting Lyles, the 15-year-old's mother had been chatting frequently on Facebook Marketplace, mostly in Spanish. But when they arrived at the meeting point, the 15-year-old sensed something wasn't right, even though Lyles didn't speak Spanish, according to ABC 13.
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“Cash, ma'am. I've just had a lot of bad experiences recently. I don't know what to do with you,” Lyles said in one message before they met at the parking lot where he allegedly proposed. “There was no such thing,” he is quoted as saying.
When the situation escalated, the 15-year-old boy and his mother got out of the car to complete the transaction. Lyles allegedly demanded to see $250 in cash he had brought to buy the PlayStation before handing it over.
Scammers use Facebook Marketplace to steal your information. (CyberGuy.com)
“I understand. [out of] When we got out of the car and I was about to open it, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled. [a gun] I walked out and I turned to my mom to give her the money and he took the PS5 and ran with it,” the 15-year-old told ABC 13.
“Once the purchaser arrived at the scene, the suspects pointed a firearm at the victim and robbed him of money,” the HPD Robbery Unit said in a press release.
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Their whereabouts were unknown as of Wednesday morning, and police are asking for the public's help in locating the two teenagers, who are still wanted. They are asking anyone who may have seen Lyles or Pickett to contact police.
In a video posted by PSA to HPD's X account on Nov. 26, Robbery Detective C. Lee tells buyers that they must visit their local police station to complete the transaction and “avoid becoming a victim.” I suggested that I meet with a Facebook Marketplace seller at .
Facebook Marketplace is a subsection of Facebook where any user can buy and sell items from other users. (Nick Cooley/AFP)
“Look for things like profile pictures and account activity as good signs,” Lee says. “Many of these accounts we're seeing are empty accounts that have only been used a few times.”
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Lee said the suspects often offer deals that are “too good to be true” and direct them to meeting locations to connect with buyers.
Police are asking anyone with information about these robberies to contact Houston Crime Stoppers directly at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.crime-stoppers.org I am calling for this. Information leading to an arrest could result in a cash reward of up to $5,000.
