Hartford police and federal agents teamed up to track down a suspect who planned more than a dozen armed robberies involving online sites such as Craigslist, and on Wednesday investigators revealed that they believe the mastermind behind many of these crimes was a teenager.
Hartford police and ATF have been investigating a series of more than a dozen robberies from Sept. 2017 through November 2017. During these crimes, three victims were shot, several victims were pistol-whipped, and cell phones, jewelry and several thousands of dollars in cash were stolen.
Police say a 17-year-old ringleader set up the victims using OfferUp, Let it Go and Craigslist.
Officers urge people to head to a safer place such as police headquarters to buy or sell items.
“It’s very, very scary and nerve-wracking,” said Samantha Rivera of Hartford.
Rivera is cautious when buying stuff through online sites and then arranging to meet with potential sellers.
“We would usually meet up in public sites, very public sites where there are cameras,” she said.
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No information about the suspect has been released except that the teen faces charges of conspiracy to commit robbery.
More arrests are expected.
