Crime & Safety
Police: Fake Craigslist Ad Set Up Robbery, Murder; Arrest Made 4 Months Later
A man killed in late October was likely targeted through a fake Craigslist ad listing a car for sale, say police. An arrest was made March 7 in the death of Rene Filsfdelfo Leiva-Archila.
More than four months after a Baltimore man was killed in Harmans, Anne Arundel County Police have filed murder charges in the case, which stemmed from a fake Craigslist ad that set up an armed robbery.
Police said Rene Filsfdelfo Leiva-Archila, 44, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest on Oct. 31. He was initially directed to a trauma center, but paramedics instead went to a local hospital, where he died.
The investigation revealed Gregory Dontae Lewis, 34, of 738 Cecil Avenue North Unit 2 in Millersville, lured Leiva-Archila to the 7400 block of Railroad Avenue in Harmans as a ruse tied to a fictional Craigslist ad on a car for sale. During the apparent robbery attempt, Lewis shot and killed Leiva-Archila, police contend.
An Anne Arundel County grand jury Lewis on March 7 on multiplee charges: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, use of a firearm in a felony, use of a firearm in the commission of a crime of violence, and possession of a shotgun after having been convicted of a crime of violence.
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Detectives located Lewis in a parking lot in the 7000 block of Ritchie Highway in Glen Burnie Friday, where he was arrested without incident.
“This case took several months and highlights both the dedication and the patience on the part of detectives who continued to vigorously pursue every piece of evidence and information until an indictment was secured,” said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
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As the investigation continues, authorities ask anyone with information on the incident to contact Detective Vince Carbonaro of the Homicide Unit at 410-222-3566 or Metro Crime Stoppers.
Anyone arranging to purchase items online through Craigslist or through other online advertisements should remember the following safety tips:
• Before meeting an online seller, get a name and telephone number.
• When responding to a location to buy an online item, park in a high traffic area, preferably during daylight hours and have an adult witness accompany you.
• Before meeting the seller, tell family and friends where you are going and the time you plan to meet.
• Keep a cell phone nearby.
• If it seems too good to be true from the beginning, it probably is. Trust your gut.
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