Group Robs, Assaults Victim During Facebook Marketplace Meetup In Camden Co.: Police

BERLIN, NJ — A Camden County resident thought he found a buyer for his items on Facebook Marketplace. Instead, he was assaulted and robbed, police said.

The robbery occurred just after 2 p.m. Feb. 6 in Berlin, police said. Four people have been identified as suspects. Two were arrested, and two have warrants out as of Friday morning.

The victim was selling items on Facebook Marketplace. He arranged for the perceived buyer to retrieve them at an Arlington Avenue home.

At the location, a group of people assaulted the victim and stole his belongings, valued at $1,300, police said. A vehicle with four suspects fled before officers arrived, but the license plate number was provided to police.

That evening, police found the vehicle in Camden with four people inside. Two of them were wanted for the Berlin robbery and arrested, police said. The others were identified and released, pending further investigation.

Berlin detectives executed a search warrant on the vehicle the next day, finding the victim's belongings inside, police said. They also found marijuana and stolen property from a different robbery in Somerdale, according to law enforcement.

All four suspects have been charged with robbery involving bodily injury.

Louis Green, of Woodbury, and Jayden Spearman, of Camden, have been jailed in the Camden County Correctional Facility. Attorney information for the detained suspects wasn't immediately available in online court records.

Two suspects remain wanted — Zhayd A. Stevenson, of Camden, and Yasir K. McCargo — police said.

McCargo was also charged with marijuana distribution.

As a result of this investigation, the Berlin Police Department plans to implement a "Safe Exchange Zone" on their premises. Signs will be posted on borough property, encouraging residents to conduct private-property transactions and child-custody exchanges at the location, which is under 24/7 surveillance.

When buying or selling items online, do not let potential buyers come to your home and do not give them your address, police advised.

Conduct transactions during the day. And if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is, police said.

"We want to remind our residents that if you are selling or buying items online to meet at the Berlin Police Department or another Safe, Public location like the Berlin Police Department which is under 24-hour video surveillance," the department said in a statement.