A Facebook Marketplace meetup on Blaze Drive turned into a gunpoint robbery, and now Murfreesboro police are again telling residents to make their deals in the department’s Safe Exchange Zone instead of at strangers’ homes.
Investigators say a 48-year-old seller arranged to meet buyers at a home on Blaze Drive on Feb. 9 to sell an expensive gold chain. Once there, suspects pulled handguns and took off with the jewelry. No arrests have been announced, and the case remains with the department’s Criminal Investigations Division.
According to FOX17, the meetup happened around 6:05 p.m. on Feb. 9. One man asked to examine the chain while two others stayed in a nearby vehicle. Detectives told FOX17 those two men then produced handguns, stole the chain and drove away. FOX17 reports that police are asking anyone with information to contact the department.
Where To Meet Safely
The Murfreesboro Police Department runs a designated Safe Exchange Zone in the front parking lot of police headquarters at 1004 North Highland Avenue. The area is well lit and monitored by surveillance cameras, according to the Murfreesboro Police Department.
The zone is intended as a neutral, recorded spot for private-party sales and child custody exchanges. Parking spaces are available free on a first-come, first-served basis, giving buyers and sellers an option that does not involve meeting at unfamiliar homes or isolated locations.
Online Sales And Local Crime Trends
Crimes linked to online marketplace meetups have been a recurring issue in the region. Murfreesboro police have also warned of rising vehicle burglaries and thefts that can involve firearms, WSMV reported. That pattern has officers pushing residents to favor public, well lit spots or monitored police lots when they meet up for sales.
How To Report
“Never meet strangers in isolated places,” Murfreesboro Police spokesperson Larry Flowers said, urging people to choose well lit, well populated locations or the department’s Safe Exchange Zone for in-person deals, as reported by FOX17.
Anyone with information about the Feb. 9 robbery is asked to contact the Murfreesboro Police Department. General contact details and the Safe Exchange Zone address can be found on the Murfreesboro Police Department website.
