Man arrested after reportedly stealing jewelry during Facebook Marketplace sale

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 21-year-old man is facing a felony charge after he allegedly stole a high-end piece of jewelry during a Facebook Marketplace sale meetup, police said.

According to a release from the Austin Police Department, a person called 311 on Oct. 21 around 4:45 p.m. to report that she and her family member had been robbed of a "very high-end piece of jewelry."

The victim told police she and a family member were trying to sell the jewelry on Facebook Marketplace when they were contacted by an interested buyer. They met up with the buyer in a parking lot in the 4400 block of North Lamar Boulevard. According to the release, the victim thought the location would be safe because it was public.

The victim said while she was holding the jewelry, the buyer snatched it out of her hand and "made an aggressive lunge movement like he would strike her if she tried to get the jewelry back," according to APD.

The release said the victim feared for her safety if she tried to get the jewelry back because the man was much larger than her.

APD identified the man as Caleb Thompsen, 21. He was charged with robbery, a second-degree felony. KXAN is working to find attorney information for Thompsen to request a comment on the charge and will update this story if we receive a response.

According to police, minutes after the incident happened, Thompsen was bragging about the stolen jewelry and his intent to sell it, the release said.

APD said this incident is a reminder that anyone conducting business or sales online should take precautions.

"The victim in this case took several recommended precautions: brought someone else with her, met in a public place during the day, but unfortunately was still victimized," APD said in the release.

APD provided the following safety recommendations:

• Keep the item(s) secure until you receive payment.
• Conduct business in a public place with numerous other witnesses – do not conduct the transaction near your home.
• If possible, conduct the transaction on camera (dash camera, personal body camera).
• Obtain a vehicle description of the person you will be meeting, vehicle make/model/license plate number/color and do not meet with them unless those identifiers match.
• Obtain a description of what they will be wearing and of their physical description and do not meet with anyone other than someone fitting those identifiers.
• Screenshot the potential buyer’s social media account once you agree to meet with them in the event they quickly delete the account after the sale.

Anyone with any information should contact APD's Robbery unit at 512-974-5092. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.