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Police: Durham man arranged to buy items through Facebook, robbed sellers

A Durham man has been arrested after police said he set up meetings to purchase items advertised online and robbed the sellers.

Posted Updated
Omarry Anthony Contreras
By
Janine Bowen
, WRAL.com editor
DURHAM, N.C. — A Durham man has been arrested after police said he set up meetings to purchase items advertised online and robbed the sellers.

Durham police said Omarry Anthony Contreras, 23, met two men on Aug. 24 in order to buy a PlayStation 4 they had advertised on the Facebook Marketplace. Contreras took the PlayStation, pulled out a gun and told the sellers he was taking it without paying, authorities said.

On Aug. 29, police said Contreras met with a man who had advertised an iPad on the Facebook Marketplace. Contreras grabbed the iPad from the seller and threatened to shoot him before fleeing, police said.

The seller was knocked to the ground when Contreras fled and was treated for minor injuries at the scene, authorities said.

Both incidents occurred in the parking lot of a shopping center at 3500 North Roxboro Street, authorities said.

Contreras was arrested Wednesday and charged with two counts of robbery with a dangerous weapon, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of carrying a concealed handgun.

Police said Contreras was in possession of a loaded gun during his arrest.

Contreras was being held at the Durham County Jail under $300,000 bond.

Durham police reminded people planning to buy items advertised online to always meet in a public place during daylight hours, always tell friends or family members where they are going and to avoid carrying large amounts of cash or divulging personal information.

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