An Australian has decided to leave his house permanently after a disastrous Facebook Marketplace transaction strongly affected him. The unsettling warning–I know where you live–from the person thought to be responsible prompted this extreme step.
33-year-old Julian Rivers-Smith was confronted by an armed group in his Ascot Vale house in inner-city Melbourne when he welcomed a prospective buyer to collect a laptop.
The victim allegedly planned to sell laptops at a home on Hockey Lane at around 9:15 in the morning, according to a police statement.
His suspicions were piqued when the supposed buyer showed up disguised and tried to pay for the laptop using a fake bank website.
Mr. Rivers-Smith and his partner quickly took shelter inside his apartment, slamming the door behind them. The film from his security system recorded the March 25 event.
The person, who was allegedly holding a knife, made him aware of the obvious, telling him he knew how to find him. Following this, his accomplice reportedly used a metal baton to smash the windows of Mr. Rivers-Smith’s car before swiftly fleeing in a stolen Ford Falcon.
The prospect of their return to Mr. Rivers-Smith’s house made him feel uneasy, and he ultimately decided to go to a different state.
One of his cars was allegedly taken in December by the same youth who is suspected of killing young doctor Ash Gordon after an unsuccessful home burglary, according to his December allegation. Tragically, Dr. Gordon, 33, died while chasing down two burglars who broke into his home on Sargent Street in Doncaster, inner-city Melbourne.
According to the Victoria Police, no one has been taken into custody yet as the investigation is continuing.
The authorities are asking anybody with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
Last month, the Chief Police Commissioner of Victoria emphasized the seriousness of the problem by calling for an immediate review of the state’s legislation about juvenile criminality.
According to figures issued by the Crime Statistics Agency in March, the overall number of criminal occurrences registered by Victoria Police in 2023 increased significantly. The numbers were 10.6% higher than the prior year.
