Craigslist transaction turns robbery in West Covina

WEST COVINA -- Three men used a handgun to rob a Baldwin Park man and his friends who responded to a Craigslist  post advertising a computer for sale late Friday, authorities said.
The robbery was reported about 10:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Brunswick West Covina Lanes bowling alley, 675 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina police officials said.
The victim, 20, brought four friends along to meet a seller in order to buy a Mac computer, Lt. Marty Sevilla said in a written statement.
The buyers met a the supposed seller in the parking lot and was handed the computer, Sevilla said.
The victim agreed to buy it and handed the teen his money, he said.
The teen asked to check the computer one more time before the transaction was complete, at which time two additional robbers emerged from the street armed with a silver handgun, Sevilla said.
"The victim grabbed the computer back and threw it into his car where his friends were seated," the lieutenant said. (One of the robbers) pointed the gun at the occupants, demanding the computer back."
All three robbers then ran off with both the computer and the money, police said. They were last seen running west on Service Avenue.
Police described the robbers as a Latino teen of 15 to 17 years old, a black teen of 16 to 18 years old and a black or Latino man of about 20 years old.