Police: Teen Tried To Rob Residents Selling Car on Craigslist

A Forest Park teenager is accused of trying to rob residents he arranged to meet to conduct a car sale transaction stemming from an ad posted on Craigslist.

Detectives with the Woodstock Police Department Jose Diaz-Gutierrez, 17, and charged him with armed robbery, the agency said Wednesday afternoon in a press release.

Woodstock officers responded to an attempted armed robbery call around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 at Kroger, which is located at 2295 Towne Lake Parkway. The officers “learned of an attempted armed robbery during a car sale transaction as a result of an ad placed on Craigslist,” said Woodstock police spokesperson Brittany Duncan.

The two men told police they were showing a Ford Mustang to Gutierrez when he allegedly pulled a handgun from his waistband while “demanding the keys and the paperwork to the vehicle,” Duncan said.

Duncan added the teen was unsuccessful in his robbery attempt, and fled the scene on foot. Along with help from the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, Woodstock officers initially searched the area to locate the suspect. However, detectives eventually tracked down Gutierrez at his home and he was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 31.

In response to the incident, the Woodstock Police Department encourages residents to close online transactions in a safer way by utilizing its lobby or premises at 12453 Highway 92.

Officers will also be available any time to “stand by” in an effort to increase a seller or buyer’s sense of security.

“It is our desire to deter those who would prey upon our citizens by moving these transactions from possibly secluded areas to a public area where law enforcement officers would be present,” Police Chief Calvin Moss said.

Woodstock police also said it’s ”committed to ensuring the transactions are free of stolen merchandise” by offering to check an item’s serial number against both state and national databases to ensure they have not been reported stolen.

Buyers or sellers can contact the Woodstock Police Department at (770) 592-6030 (and press option 7) between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to set up an meeting time. Officers will also be available after hours for residents who were unable to schedule a time with the front office.

After hours, citizens can contact the Cherokee County Emergency Dispatch Center at 678-493-4080 and request the assistance of an officer at the department.