Man arrested for robbing victim of 'high-end' jewelry in North Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – A man was arrested for robbing a woman in a North Austin parking lot, the Austin Police Department said.

Austin police said on Oct. 21, around 4:45 p.m., a victim reported that she and a family member were robbed of a high-end piece of jewelry. The victim said they wanted to sell the jewelry on Facebook Marketplace.

The victim was contacted by an interested buyer, later identified as 21-year-old Caleb Thompsen. The two agreed to meet in the parking lot of 4400 N Lamar Blvd.

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When the victim and her family member arrived, they saw Thompsen. While the victim was holding the jewelry, Thompsen snatched it out of her hand. Police said Thompsen made “an aggressive lunge movement like he would strike her if she tried to get the jewelry back.”

After an investigation, Thompsen was arrested for robbery. He was booked into the Travis County Jail.

Austin police gave some tips to victims on how to stay safe when conducting online sales:

• Keep the item(s) secure until you receive payment.
• Conduct business in a public place with numerous other witnesses – do not conduct the transaction near your home.
• If possible, conduct the transaction on camera (dash camera, personal body camera).
• Obtain a vehicle description of the person you will be meeting, vehicle make/model/license plate number/color and do not meet with them unless those identifiers match.
• Obtain a description of what they will be wearing and of their physical description and do not meet with anyone other than someone fitting those identifiers.
• Screenshot the potential buyer’s social media account once you agree to meet with them in the event they quickly delete the account after the sale.

Anyone with any information should contact APD’s Robbery unit at 512-974-5092. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.