Florida man kidnapped during iPhone sale on Facebook Marketplace

Police in Doral, Florida, reported that a buyer was kidnapped and robbed on Oct. 9 during an iPhone purchase arranged on Facebook Marketplace.

The victim had previously dealt with the seller.

According to police, Lazaro Nunez-Martinez, 31, drove a white BMW while Darian Ernesto Morejon Rodriguez held the buyer at gunpoint from the back seat.

The victim escaped from the moving BMW after throwing a satchel containing about $4,000 in cash toward bushes, which prompted Rodriguez to exit the vehicle to retrieve the money.

Police said the victim was strangled during a struggle inside the car before running to hide near a local business.

Both men were arrested on Oct. 11, with Nunez-Martinez facing charges including kidnapping with a firearm, armed robbery, grand theft, tampering with a victim or witness, and battery, while Rodriguez faces related kidnapping and robbery charges.

For Indian-origin residents using online marketplaces in Florida, this incident shows the danger of carrying large amounts of cash to meet individual sellers.

Safety takeaways for marketplace deals include meeting only in busy public places or police safe-exchange zones, avoiding large amounts of cash, and never entering a stranger's vehicle.