Suzette Cook
An Archer couple reported a motorbike stolen late Thursday night after they met up with a potential buyer via Facebook Marketplace.
According to Samantha Defrangesco and the incident report filed with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), her husband Joshua Defrangesco met the potential buyer of a 2001 Suzuki DRZ motorbike at 1013 SW 59th Terrace in the Linton Oaks subdivision in Southwest Gainesville at about 11 p.m Thursday night.
“I met him in a public place. I had bike running, turned to pick up a ratchet strap, he hopped on it and took off,” Joshua reported on a post on socal social media groups asking for help locating the bike or person who took it. “By the time I could get my hood down because the bike had to be jump started, he was already at the end of the road. I instantly called 911.”
The Degrangescos took screen shots of the communication that happened between them and the potential buyer who has a Facebook profile name of Trgga Topp SHotta and whose profile information states that he is a graduate of Eastside High School and is employed at “$treet Ink Tattoo in Ocala.”
Samantha stated that the family had just moved to Archer and decided to sell the bike to pay off some bills.
“This man didn’t even let my husband get it off the trailer and he hopped on it and took off,” Samantha reported via text message. “We are new to the area and would really like any help we can get in finding this. It took a lot for my husband to even think to sell this.”
According to the ACSO incident report, the vehicle has a VIN number of JS1DK433312101638. The charge is grand theft of a motor vehicle, which is a felony.
The selling price of the bike was listed as $2,025. The investigation is ongoing as of Saturday morning.
Anyone with information regarding the motorbike is asked to call the ACSO at 352-955-1818.