UTICA — Police have arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with two armed vehicle thefts that occurred through an online sales marketplace on June 24 and 25.
Robert Collins was charged with two counts of robbery in the second degree after police say he used a handgun to steal vehicles from sellers who believed they were meeting a legitimate buyer.
Police said Collins contacted vehicle sellers through an online marketplace and arranged to meet them at locations in the city.
When the sellers arrived, Collins would brandish a handgun and threaten them with harm before taking their vehicle keys and fleeing, according to police.
In the first incident, the seller was able to locate their stolen vehicle after it had collided with two other vehicles on the 1400 block of Steuben Street.
A similar incident occurred on June 25 at approximately 7:30 p.m., police said.
Investigators developed Collins as a suspect based on the same online name being used in both incidents and surveillance video from near the crime scenes.
Collins was located and arrested on June 27 by the Utica Police Department and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Units.
He was transported to the Utica Police Department for processing.
