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Craigslist robbery backfires on suspect in Lorain when armed robbery has unusual ending

Posted at 4:06 PM, Jul 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-26 19:05:48-04

A Norwalk couple drove to a house on Root Road in Lorain last week. They wanted to buy a motorcycle for a thousand dollars cash after seeing an ad on Craigslist.

But when they arrived, the house was vacant.

The seller, claimed to have a motorcycle behind the house, but pulled a gun on them, and demanded the thousand dollars, that's when the buyers turned the tables on him.

The victim wrestled the gunman to the ground, punching him, the gun fell to the ground, the victim's girlfriend called 911.

”Lorain Police...We're picking up a bike from Craigslist and the guy has a gun,” the caller said.

A police photo shows the suspect after he was flown to MetroHealth Medical Center with bleeding behind his eye, a broken nose, a broken clavicle, and other broken bones.

The suspect, 47-year-old Robert Louis Fox, has since been transferred from MetroHealth to the county jail.

"He was able to disarm the suspect and hold him down until the police got there,” said Lieutenant Ed Super. 

Super said the victim thought he was going to get killed and acted on adrenaline, but this could've ended much differently.

"It could have been a tragic situation, we don't recommend people confront attackers who are armed with a firearm. We don't want to see anybody injured or even shot." Super said. 

Super reminds people they can make craigslist transactions in the lobby of police stations, like Lorain.

"Come and meet at the police department where you can be safe, and the under a camera's view, or have officers around,” Super said.

Fox is charged with aggravated robbery and is due in court to be arraigned Wednesday.