Jeans Sale Gone Wrong Ends in Hail of Gunfire: Haltom City Police

A Dallas resident narrowly missed a bullet when an attempt to buy expensive jeans through a resale app went very wrong.

Haltom City police say the victim drove from Dallas to an apartment complex in the 5600 block of Coventry Park Drive in Haltom City at 11:30 p.m. to buy expensive jeans listed in an OfferUp ad. The victim told police they were suspicious of the transaction due to the late hour but decided to go anyway.

The victim told officers when it became clear the jeans were not as advertised and the sale was not going as planned, they started to drive off, that's when the seller pulled out a pistol and started shooting.

The victim's vehicle was hit several times and one of the rounds made it through the vehicle getting lodged in the victim's jacket.
"The bullet luckily had lost enough velocity to not penetrate through the jacket and only bruised the victim," Haltom City police said.

Police warn everyone that buying and selling items online comes with a risk, but there are precautions you can take to ensure your safety.

Safety Tips:

• Ask to meet at a police station parking lot. You can also call your local police department's non-emergency number to find out if a city has a safe exchange zone.
• If you elect to meet elsewhere, pick a safe place to meet (make sure it is a well-lit public place at a busy time of day)
• Don't meet a stranger alone, bring a friend or family member with you.
• Only bring enough cash for the purchase, never carry large amounts of cash with you.
• Never share confidential information (example: passwords, social security numbers, banking information)
• Don't give out your information. Since you're meeting in a public place the buyer or seller doesn't need your address or phone number, chat through the app only.
• Research the person (check their profile, what do others say about them?)
• Research the product (look closely at the item photos, do they give you enough detail?)