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Aurora police: Robbery shows need to use monitored parking spaces for internet buys

Aurora police are reminding residents to use one of four parking spots at the police station for meeting to buy or sell goods off the internet after a man was robbed of his cellphone and smartwatch while trying to sell a high-end coffee maker last week.

Police said a 31-year-old man set up a deal over a social media app to sell his coffee maker Dec. 29. After agreeing on a price, the seller agreed to meet a buyer on the 1400 block of McClure Road on the city's northwest side to complete the sale.

They met at 3 p.m. and while they talked, another man approached from behind and put the seller in a chokehold while the purported buyer grabbed the coffee maker, the victim's cellphone and iWatch before running away. The victim was not injured but estimated his loss at $2,140, police said.

"If you buy or sell items over the internet or by using social media apps, we hope one of your New Year's Resolutions is to utilize the special parking spots we have for exactly these types of transactions. By doing so, you'll greatly reduce the chances of being robbed - or worse - by criminals who cruise the internet and social media looking for victims," police said in a Facebook post Thursday. "We have four parking spaces in our easternmost parking lot exclusively for internet transactions. If you buy or sell items and the other party is reluctant or does not want to do business at the police department, they may not be who they purport to be."

The Dec. 29 robber was described as a dark-skinned black man in his late teens to early 20s, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 160 pounds with brown eyes and wearing dark clothing. The victim could not provide a description of the man who put him in the chokehold, police said.

Anyone with information should call the department's Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500 or Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000 to leave an anonymous tip and qualify for a cash reward if a tip leads to any arrests.

Many suburban police stations have designated, video-monitored parking spots for people to conduct internet transactions or encourage people to use the 24-hour station lobby.

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