Think before you list

(From News Channel Five):  It's another Craigslist scam that's targeting trusting people looking for a quick fix-it man. Police said robbers are claiming to repair anything from electronics to guitars, or in the most recent case, an iPod.

That's what happened to a 70-year-old man who posted an ad asking for help repairing his iPod. As it turns out, the person who said they could fix it was just part of a larger burglary ring that searches the site for easy targets.

"I drop my guard a lot, and I am an old dog anyway, so I am trying to learn how to better that situation," said 70-year-old Leo Garcia.

Garcia said he is too nice and too trusting, and this time it caught up with him on Craigslist when a seemingly nice young student responded to his help ad. 

"I am not saying that Craigslist is bad, but there are bad people using it against decent people," said Garcia.

The student picked up the iPod and said he'd bring it back a few days later. But Garcia learned that the first visit was merely to scan Garcia's house and the second visit was planned out when they knew that he wouldn't be home. The house was their easy target for a burglary.

"They were making sure that I wasn't here when they called," he said.

Police said it was three Clarksville men who ransacked Garcia's house and stole $10,000 worth of guitars, jewelry and rare coins. All three have been charged with Aggravated Burglary. Two of those who were arrested, Curteis Arzon and Malcolm Chase, were both already on probation for Aggravated Burglary charges. The third suspect, Robert Geralds, has no criminal history at all and, in fact, is supposed to start college in Florida in just a couple of weeks.

"That is the way he chooses his victims and sets up this kind of break in," said Eric Ewing with the Clarksville Police Department.

Now Garcia is searching Craigslist, not for help, but for his stolen instruments.

"When I am by myself, and I am down in the dumps my guitar picks me up, I'm happy my guitar helps me smile," he said as he strummed one of the guitars that was found and returned.

Police are trying to track down the other stolen items and believe they may have been pawned in the local area.

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