On Wednesday, June 12, 16 year old Johnny Peluyera went with his father to Gary, Indiana to sell his Xbox One to buyers that they met through an online sales app. The two buyers lured Peluyera and his father into an abandoned house that they pretended was their own, under the guise of proving that the Xbox One worked before they bought it. One of the buyers pulled a gun, at which point Peluyera and his father ran from the house.Peluyera was shot in the back and pronounced deadshortly afterwards, having died in the passenger’s seat of his father’s truck with the Xbox One still in his lap. Now, on July 5, arrests have been made in connection with the shooting.
Lake County officials have arrested two individuals who are believed to be the buyers that Peluyera and his father met with to sell theXbox One. The buyers were found at their homes in Gary and Crown Point, Indiana. One is a 17 year old and the other is 18 years old. It’s been indicated that the 17 year old may be tried as an adult, given the severity of the crime. The names of the two people that police have arrested have yet to be released to the public.
Peluyera’s family is still struggling with the shock of his death. Peluyera’s father told press that he continues to see his son’s death in his head, and that it is “very hard to process.” Peluyera’s mother Kelly Arroyo said, “I especially plead to all parents: Hold your babies. Tell them every day you love them and you are proud of them.” Peluyera is survived by an older sister who has stage 4 cancer, as well as a younger brother.
Sadly, someone being killed when trying to buy or sell video game consoles online is something that has happened before. In 2018,Danny Diaz-Delgado of New Jersey was murderedwhen trying to buy a PS4 for his younger brother.
To attempt to avoid these kinds of tragedies in the future, police have repeated their plea to the public to be cautious. Police say that the safest place to meet people online is in the parking lot of a police station.
