Teen fatally shot as he drove away from Facebook Marketplace meetup: Reports

A teenager was killed during a Facebook Marketplace meetup deal gone wrong last month in Maryland and another teen has been charged in connection to his death, police and local media reported.

Carlos Alberto Carrazana Ricardo, 18, lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but on Nov. 26 traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to buy a car he saw on Facebook Marketplace, local media reported. 

He decided not to buy the vehicle and the person selling the car shot him, per charging documents obtained by local news outlets. Baltimore police announced an arrest on Dec. 4. 

Marques Harris, an 18-year-old from Baltimore, was taken into custody in connection to the teen’s death and is now facing 11 charges, according to online court records. His charges include first degree murder, assault and multiple gun charges.

He has a preliminary hearing on Jan. 3. It is not clear who is representing Harris.

Teen shot as he drove away: Reports

Carrazana Ricardo and a friend traveled to Baltimore on Nov. 26 to look at a 2006 Acura TL sedan the teen had seen on the Facebook Marketplace, according to Lancaster Online.

Harris and an unidentified person showed up to meet Carrazana Ricardo and his friend. When the teen said he wasn’t interested in buying the car and drove away, someone shot at them, hitting Carrazana Ricardo in the head, the outlet reported.

Police received a call just before 8:00 p.m. about the shooting, police said in a Facebook post. When authorities arrived, an individual led them to the scene, where Ricardo was lying in the road. Medics arrived and took him to the hospital, police said.

His friend was not hurt, but Carrazana Ricardo died from his injuries on Nov. 30, Lancaster Online reported.

Investigators were able to identify Harris through Facebook Marketplace. Harris admitted trying to sell the car, being at the scene and owning a gun found at his house, the outlet said.

Community mourns teen, lover of cars, football and family

Carrazana Ricardo was a senior at J. P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles southeast of Hershey.

He was born in Santiago, Cuba and immigrated to the U.S. in 2022. He had only been in the U.S. for a year before his death, according to a report from Lancaster Online.

Reynaldo Favier, his uncle, told the outlet that Ricardo wanted to be a businessman and hoped to go to college. He was authorized to work in the U.S. a month ago and was working at an Amazon warehouse. 

Favier told Lancaster Online that he and Ricardo were very close and both loved cars. Sometimes the teenager would ride with him at his job as a Lowe’s delivery man. Other times, they’d play football at the park.

He leaves behind his parents Yanet Ricardo Vega (Daisnel Aliaga) and Eliden Carrazana, as well as siblings and stepsiblings Alejandro and Yudani Quintana, an online obituary reads.

According to Lancaster Online, two GoFundMes were started to cover funeral costs. Information can be found at www.tinyurl.com/HelpCarlosA and www.tinyurl.com/CarlosAFuneral.

What do do if you're meeting strangers for online transactions

Since so many people use social media to buy and sell products, police departments across the country have offered safety tips to consumers when meeting up with strangers.

Some departments have even created meetup spots at police stations, such as the Holbrook Police Department in Massachusetts. The parking lot has a designated spot for people to safely complete transactions knowing help is nearby.

"While the Holbrook Police Department cannot guarantee the quality or authenticity of items purchased online, the MeetUp Spot was created to give residents a safe, secure and public spot to purchase and sell items," the department wrote on its website.

The Houston Police Department in Texas also shared some tips on its website, such as:

• Meeting in a public place such as a restaurant or shopping center with a high volume of pedestrian or vehicle traffic
• Meeting during the day
• Meeting in a well-lit, busy area if you must meet at night
• Taking a family member or friend to observe and witness the transaction