Online Sale Goes Awry As 'Buyers' Turn Violent In Foster City: PD

FOSTER CITY, CA — Three suspects were arrested Sunday in connection with the attempted robbery a day earlier of gaming consoles in Foster City from a 27-year-old resident who was injured during the incident, police said.

The victim had listed two gaming consoles for sale on an online app and arranged to show the consoles to prospective buyers at his home, according to a police news release.

After two men and a woman arrived by car, the victim took one of the men into his home to inspect the two consoles, police said. They then brought a console outside to show to the second suspect. The second suspect, sitting in the driver's seat, allegedly tried to grab the console from the victim's hands. With the victim struggling to hold onto the console, the suspect started to drive away, causing the victim to fall, according to police.

A witness obtained the license plate number of the vehicle before it fled. Oakland officers located the male suspects near their residence the next day when an automated license plate reader indicated that the car had been used to commit a felony crime. The woman also was located outside the residence.

Foster City detectives obtained a search warrant for the suspects' Oakland home and recovered the victim's stolen property and other items, police said.

The suspects, Echo Lemke, 21, of Capitola and Jason Murphy, 23, of Oakland, were booked into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of burglary, attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime. Brianna Perez, 18, of Oakland, was cited on suspicion of possessing stolen property and released with a court date.

Police advise residents to use the exchange zone in the police department's public parking lot to conduct transactions for the sale or purchase of items made online. For more information, head here.

— By Bay City News Service