ROCKLEDGE, Fla. -- A man told Rockledge Police Department a pair of suspects beat him and stole a rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammo he was selling.
- Suspects allegedly beat man in Rockledge
- Man from out of state tried to sell AR-15, magazines, ammo
- Suspects took items and fled, police say
Police officers tell Spectrum News why where the man met up with the suspects was not a good idea.
"With internet sales nowadays, people are getting in trouble all the time. You never know who you are dealing with," said Detective Robert Weigel of the Rockledge Police Department.
The man told investigators he agreed to sell his customized AR-15, 12 magazines, plus 700 rounds of ammo to a person he communicated with online.
He lives out of state and arranged to make their transaction in a neighborhood in the west part of the city.
The men agreed to meet up around 8 a.m. Monday night at an address in a cul-de-sac.
The problem was that no one lives at the home -- there's even a dumpster in the driveway.
"Once the victim arrived there, the deal somewhat fell through," Weigel said.
Instead of buying the gun, the pair allegedly beat the man to the ground. Then they sped off with the weapon and equipment.
The man was able to give police a description of the car, and not long after, officers arrested 25-year-old Justin Dunham, who lives just a couple streets away from where the alleged crime occurred.
But a dangerous weapon is now out there, as the other suspect got away.
"It's a bad situation. I don't even want to think about that gun being on the street," Weigel said, worried.
Bottom line, police say, is that it was not a smart decision for the man to meet up in a strange place.
The right move would be to go to a police department, where it's safe and secure. If the person you are dealing with doesn't what to do that, you'll know something is up.
Police are still looking for the second robbery suspect, plus the gun and ammo.
If you have any information, call Rockledge Police or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.