PASADENA >> Pasadena Police arrested a New York man Tuesday after he sold fake tickets to Wednesday night’s highly anticipated Lakers game — Kobe Bryant’s last ever.
Rahiem Adrian Watts, 27, was booked on suspicion of grand theft, according to Pasadena police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
A 22-year-old Fontana man had arranged to meet the suspect via the online classified board Craigslist to buy four highly sought-after tickets to Wednesday’s Lakers game at the Staples Center for $1,300, Pasadena police Lt. John Luna said.
The victim and his friends met Watts at a Pasadena coffee shop to buy the tickets about 8:30 p.m.
But once the suspect was gone, the victim noticed the tickets didn’t appear authentic.
They called the seller back pretending to be another buyer, the lieutenant said. Watts offered to sell them the very same seats they had just supposedly purchased.
The victims reported the incident to police, who arranged a meeting of their own with the suspect, Luna said.
Officers met Watts in the area of Euclid Avenue and Walnut Street, near the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Pasadena courthouse, coincidentally.
He fled from police, discarding phony Lakers tickets along the way, Luna said. Officers captured him following a short foot chase.
According to booking records, Watts was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail pending his initial court appearance at Pasadena Superior Court, near the scene of his arrest.