On October 9, a Florida man was kidnapped during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Doral, according to Doral Police Chief Matthew Castillo. The victim had purchased a phone from one of the two men in late September and was later contacted with an offer to buy more. He met the seller at his apartment complex, where the alleged incident took place.
When the victim entered a white BMW, he noticed an armed man in the backseat. The assailant pointed a firearm at him, ordered him to hand over his belongings, and then dragged him back into the vehicle as it drove away. The victim heard the gun fire and, using a satchel containing roughly $4,000 in cash, threw the money out the window to distract the attacker. This distraction allowed him to escape.
Police identified the seller as 31‑year‑old Lazaro Nunez‑Martinez. He was arrested Sunday on the Florida Turnpike and faces charges of grand theft, tampering, armed robbery, and kidnapping with a weapon; a judge denied him bond. The second suspect, 39‑year‑old Darian Ernesto Morejon‑Rodriguez, was arrested Monday in Hallandale Beach on the same charges.
In response, Doral police are warning the public against sharing personal information online and advising that transactions be conducted in secure, public locations. Chief Castillo suggested using police station lobbies as safe spaces for exchanges, noting that many municipalities offer such facilities for secure transactions.
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