Two men were shot dead yesterday in Barataria while attempting to rob two undercover cops who were asking for cheap old Nissan B-13 cars in response to a Facebook Marketplace ad.
The incident occurred between 12:30 and 1:30 pm between 10th and 11th Avenues off 10th Avenue in Barataria.
Police at the scene yesterday said they had investigated 15 to 20 reports last year of potential buyers meeting people who promoted the product on social media.
When the buyers met the “sellers” they were robbed by these men who knew they had cash.
Police released several statements last year urging people to meet potential sellers in public.
sting operation
North Eastern Division (NED) Intelligence Unit, NED Task Force, and Barataria CID officers launched a sting operation.
An undercover agent spoke to the men, and a meeting point was agreed near Maritime Plaza near the Maritime Roundabout.
Around 12:30 p.m., three men parked on 10th Avenue in a white Nissan B-13 they were trying to sell for $20,000.
The two undercover agents arrived in their car, a Kia Sportage, parked on 11th Avenue.
Other armed police in plain clothes were among the cars parked nearby.
As the two officers were sitting in their SUV, two bandits approached their vehicle, pointed their guns and announced a robbery.
A police colleague nearby got out of the car and yelled, “Police!” with two bandits.
Police said the men pointed their guns at these officers and were about to open fire when the officers opened fire on them.
The two were hit and fell to the ground.
A third man allegedly ran towards the roundabout and dropped his gun on the road, police said.
He then ran east to 10th Avenue and entered the B-13 in an attempt to escape.
He said he was injured when he tried to drive away while pointing his gun at the officer who fired the shot.
The first two shots were taken to the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex in Mount Hope and pronounced dead on arrival.
A third man was taken to the Barataria Health Center where he was treated.
The 38-year-old suspect, who lives on Coconut Drive in Morvant, was being questioned at the Barataria Police Station until last night.
The other two men are from Never Dirty, Morvant.
Police killed five men during operations in 2023.
be very vigilant
in online trading
Last November, police warned the public to “be extra careful with online commerce.”
After investigating several reports of people being robbed as they showed up to purchase goods, police urged the public to be vigilant when making transactions stemming from ads on social media.
They advise: Exercise due caution before trading. “
“People are always on the lookout for deals, but there are a lot of unscrupulous criminals looking to take advantage of people,” said Deputy Superintendent Edwards of the NED.
He advised people to refrain from going to questionable places to conduct transactions, especially alone or at night.
Edwards said, “If it feels like you’ve stolen a deal, you’re someone who can be robbed.”
