Craigslist Bandit Captured in Lake Forest

By City News Service

A 28-year-old man suspected of at least two robberies in which victims were lured to meetings after responding a Craigslist postings has been arrested, Irvine police announced today.

Arnold Min Baek was arrested at a shopping center in Lake Forest on Sunday, said Lt. Julia Engen of the Irvine Police Department.

One of the crimes occurred on Jan. 16 when a Monterey Park couple were robbed during a meeting in Irvine. The couple were carrying $15,000 in cash in order to buy a 2008 Mercedes C300.

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Posing as the car owner, the suspect had listed the car for sale online and made arrangements to meet the victims at a residence in Irvine.

When the couple arrived, he told them the car was at a nearby carwash and tried to get them to drive there to see the car. When the couple declined the offer, he pulled out a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded the money.

A similar robbery occurred on Jan. 4 when a man from La Habra Heights met the suspect at a different residence in Irvine, expecting to purchase a Submariner Rolex he had listed for sale for $4,200.

The suspect persuaded the victim to drive him to a jeweler in order to have the watch appraised. Once the victim was driving, the suspect again pulled out a weapon.

Detectives identified the suspect after responding to a posting of a Mercedes-Benz for sale. Detectives located him a day before the meeting and took him into custody at a coffee shop where he was using his computer.

At that arrest, detectives recovered evidence supporting their suspicions, including a replica firearm similar to the one described by victims.