DECATUR, Ga. — A South Carolina man said he was robbed, carjacked and shot at after driving nearly 400 miles to DeKalb County over Thanksgiving.
James Rabbit said it all started when he was searching on Facebook Marketplace and came across an ad for a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme out of Decatur.
'It had a lot of pictures, a lot of information, and the price seemed to be pretty reasonable, but at that point, it looked to be a deal, too," Rabbit said.
He said he contacted the person who posted the ad, whom DeKalb County police later identified as a man named Regi Knight.
"We spoke briefly. He said the car was available, it belonged to his granddaddy and he was looking to sell it because he was looking to move out of the area," Rabbit explained.
He said he told the seller he was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which was about a six-hour drive, but that he wanted to come get the car before anyone else got to it first. Rabbit said he agreed to hold it, and so Rabbit got into his SUV with a buddy, and they made the 400-mile trip that evening.
Rabbit mentioned he was told to meet at a home on Chestnut Hill Circle.
"The house was dark. There was light on along the front porch," he said.
Rabbit said no one was around, so he called the seller, who told him he was just around the corner and would be there momentarily.
A short time later, Rabbit said he saw a white Dodge Charger pull up and that the seller allegedly got out of the passenger side of the vehicle.
He said the two had some small talk for about ten minutes before things turned violent.
Rabbit pointed out that up to this point, there was no sign of the car, but he was told it was in the garage of the home. He said the seller told him his girlfriend had the key and she was bringing it.
However, as the seller walked to the back of Rabbit's SUV, Rabbit said he started yelling at him.
"Give me your money (expletive), Give me the money (expletive), and I said, 'What are you talking about,'" Rabbit recounted.
Seconds later, Rabbit said he noticed the seller pull out a gun.
"I told him, bro, no one has to die out here," he explained.
Rabbit stated not only was he demanding the $6,000 he had to buy the car, but he also demanded the keys to the SUV he drove with his friend to pick up the car.
"He approached the driver's door of my truck, he turned around and he actually shot at us." Rabbit explained.
He said the seller fired two shots, but both missed him and his friend.
"Thank God none of them hit us," Rabbit exclaimed. "He jumped in the truck, started it up, and sped off."
He said his phone was also in the SUV, but fortunately, his friend had his phone on him, and they called Dekalb County Police.
The two managed to get to a nearby hotel, where they were able to come up with a plan to get back to Myrtle Beach the next day.
Rabbit's SUV is still missing, but DeKalb County police believe Regi Knight is the suspect in this case, as he was identified to have posted the Facebook ad.
In addition, DeKalb County Police put out a 'Safety Alert' within the last week stating Knight was suspected to be "responsible for several armed robberies that have been set up through Facebook Marketplace."
The agency is encouraging anyone who comes into contact with Knight to call 911 immediately.
The police department is also reminding people to meet up at a safe zone if they're buying or selling anything off Facebook Marketplace. You can use this website to find a safe trade spot in your area.
11Alive reached out to DeKalb County Police to find out how many crimes Knight may have been linked to, the time frame of when this started and the last time they believe he may have victimized someone else.