Man robbed, pepper sprayed making Marketplace sale: New Westminster police
Posted July 8, 2025 1:08 pm.
Last Updated July 8, 2025 2:24 pm.
Police in New Westminster are looking for a suspect they say assaulted and robbed a man who was selling an iPhone through Facebook Marketplace Monday afternoon.
The New Westminster Police Department says it responded to Columbia Square after a report that a man was pepper-sprayed around 5:20 p.m., when he tried to make the sale.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!“The victim shared that he gave chase to a man who handed him counterfeit bills. The suspect then pepper-sprayed the victim before fleeing the scene in a white Tesla with an unknown driver,” police explained Tuesday.
The suspect is described as a 5’5″, 120-pound man, between 18 and 20 years old, with short, brown hair. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and black running shoes.
Anyone with information or CCTV footage of the incident is asked to reach out to police.
In light of the incident, the police department is reminding residents that Facebook Marketplace transactions carry “some degree of risk.”
“Anyone is welcome to use the lobby of the New Westminster Police Department, which is monitored by CCTV, as a location for their transaction.”
