Man tries to sell stolen car to its owner on Craigslist

[Jenna]

A man tries to sell a stolen Chevelle to its owner after listing the car on the Internet, Boynton Beach police say.

On Monday evening, police charged William Paul Jones with grand theft auto, burglary and dealing in stolen property after the car's owner set up a meeting to buy the car.

Boynton Beach police said the incident began when a man considered a Craigslist ad listing the shell of the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle suspicious. The man went to look at the car on Sunday and said the seller told him the car had been abandoned.

Instead of buying the car, the man drove to the supposed abandoned location on Fearnley Road in Lantana and looked up the property owner's name online. When the man called, Carlo Avolio told him that his 1970 two-door Chevelle, which had no engine or transmission, and a 1989 trailer had been stolen earlier that day.

Avolio then posed as a potential buyer and called the man selling the car, arranging to meet him at 64 Baytree Circle in Boynton Beach on Monday night to take a look. Avolio then called Boynton Beach police.

At about 8 p.m. on Monday, Avolio positively identified the car as his, and officers arrested Jones.

Police said Jones first told investigators that he thought the car was abandoned, but police said he subsequently confessed to cutting the lock to the property and using a Chevy Blazer to steal the Chevelle and trailer.

Police said Jones also admitted to taking car parts, including alternators, a power steering box, a dashboard and floor shifters. Jones also said that he broke into the abandoned house on Baytree Circle so that he could store the stolen property, police said.

Craigslist Leads Stolen Chevelle's Owner To Car - Local News Story - WPBF West Palm Beach

[Pudge]

Gotta love it. Craigslist is to morons, what "other" LE websites are to posers and trolls.

[Retdetsgt]

I think a lot of people immediately go to Craig's List after they have something valuable stolen. I've read numerous stories around here about police and/or a citizen recovering stolen property that way.

Ebay's another. I have a criminal cousin in Texas who was messing with UPC labels, buying computers through the self check at Wal-Mart and selling them as new on EBay.

The Internet's the easiest fence in the world now.

[So Fla Cop]

Gotta love it. Craigslist is to morons, what "other" LE websites are to posers and trolls.

Yeah like Missed Connections and Casual Encounters?

[10-42Adam]

Cool story.

I for one like Craigslist, but I'm smart about it unlike most people.

I have been selling stuff on there for months with no problems at all and have even sold things that I first considered throwing out! I guess I'm a bit of a hustler? LOL