Two Men Kidnap Victim by Luring Him Into Facebook Marketplace Sale in a Parking Lot

Two men are accused of using Facebook Marketplace to rob and kidnap an unsuspecting man who was just trying to buy cell phones.

Local10 in Florida reports that police took Lazaro Nunez-Martinez and Darian Morejon, also known as Darian Morejon-Rodriguez, into custody on Sunday, October 11, after learning that they lured an unsuspecting victim to a car on the promise of a business transaction hammered out on Facebook Marketplace.

Doral Police Chief Matthew Castillo told the outlet that the alleged victim was seen on surveillance video walking to the back of an apartment complex and approaching a white BMW. Castillo says the man could see one person in the car, but as he got closer, a second man revealed he’d been hiding in the backseat with a gun.

The alleged victim was told to get in the passenger seat of the car and the duo drove off with him at gunpoint. Castillo went on to describe a harrowing journey of clever tricks and survival on behalf of the victim. At one point, he tried to simply leave the vehicle, but was reportedly pulled back in by his two kidnappers.

He then threw the money he’d arranged to bring for the cell phone purchase, $4,000, into a bush. The alleged kidnappers prioritized recovering the money rather than him and he managed to escape — after being briefly choked by a bag strap.

The alleged victim hid from his pursuers and managed to escape. However, his nightmare was not over then. Soon after the incident, he received a text message threatening him not to involve police.

“Don’t you dare do anything because we will look for you, we know where you live,” Nunez-Martinez wrote, according to the police report viewed by Local10. “We will close the business here, and we will forget everything.”

Nunez-Martinez faced five charges including armed robbery, attempted armed kidnapping with aggravated battery, third-degree armed grand theft, tampering with a witness or victim and battery. Given the circumstances of the incident, a judge denied him bond.

Meanwhile, Morejon-Rodriguez faces four felony charges, including armed robbery, attempted armed kidnapping with aggravated battery, third-degree armed grand theft, and tampering with a witness or victim. He is currently being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, per the outlet.