Louisiana Man Fatally Shot While Trying To Sell Dirt Bike On Facebook Marketplace

A 29-year-old Louisiana man, who was trying to sell a dirt bike through Facebook, was shot dead by an alleged buyer Sunday afternoon.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said Joseph Vindel left his home between 10.00 am ET and noon to meet up with 20-year-old Jalen Harvey at an apartment complex in Manhattan Boulevard to sell the bike. Harvey had contacted Vindel after the latter listed his bike on Facebook Marketplace for $2,700.

“Mr. Vindel never returned from that transaction,” the sheriff said, reported news outlet Nola.com.

Vindel's family got in touch with the police after he failed to return home. The detectives found text messages between Vindel and Harvey about the bike sale, which helped them locate the victim’s last known location. Deputies, who went to the apartment complex, saw Vindel's dirt bike parked on a patio there.

"Detectives made contact with the resident of the apartment, Jalen Harvey. During questioning, Harvey admitted to shooting the victim," Facebook post by the Sheriff's Office read. "During the course of the transaction, the suspect shot and killed the victim. The suspect then drove the victim’s vehicle to the 2300 block of Coliseum Street in New Orleans and abandoned it. The victim’s remains were still inside the vehicle," the Sheriff's Office said in the post.

Vindel most probably did not get out of his SUV, the sheriff added.

Harvey was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and obstruction of justice.

Nola quoted Lopinto as saying when asked if it was a planned attack: "That's something our investigators are going to have to look into. We have to look at the timeline of everything that occurred, look at what the statements are saying and what matches up to the physical evidence after we do an autopsy and ballistics analysis."

“It’s a $2,800 dirt bike. It’s not anything anybody should be shot over,” Lopinto said.

The suspect has a past arrest record for burglary of an inhabited dwelling and illegal carrying of a firearm, but hasn't been convicted.

Vindel recently got his real estate license and was starting his career. He attended Tulane University from 2011 to 2015, studying public relations and marketing.