A St. Augustine man has been arrested, after allegedly snatching a diamond ring during a transaction arranged through the classifieds app “Letgo”.
The victim told police that she had been communicating with 35-year-old Alberto Lugo Soto through the app, and agreed to sell him her $2,100 ring for $1,100. They agreed to meet in the parking lot of the Target on US 1 South in St. Augustine.
The arrest report says, when the victim pulled out the ring to show Lugo Soto, he snatched it and started running. A K-9 unit came to help locate the suspect, and he was eventually found in the bushes at the edge of the parking lot. Lugo Soto had a black pocket knife on him, although the arrest report doesn’t indicate that he ever brandished it.
Investigators believe Lugo Soto chose the location for the transaction because he used to work at the Target and knew the camera system. The arrest report says the location where the snatch happened was in a spot where the camera is partially obstructed by a tree. Regardless, investigators say they have surveillance footage of him running through the parking lot, and the victim was also able to positively identify him.
The ring has not been located.
The St. Augustine Police Department says they’re a safe zone for online transactions through sites like this. You can use the front lobby or side parking lot as a tradeoff point for any legal transaction.
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