JUNTURA, Ore. -- A Nampa man is urging people to be vigilant about their safety after he says a Craigslist deal ended with him robbed at gunpoint, choked unconscious, and left for dead on the side of an Oregon highway.
Mike Miller, a father of five, says a lot of his business comes from selling things - from livestock supplies to fencing to equipment bought at auctions - on sites like Craigslist. So when he got a call Monday morning from someone interested in purchasing a trailer he had listed, he didn't bat an eye.
"These people were awesome on the phone, very respectful, acting like they just got out of church," he said.
But Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said the would-be buyers were setting a trap.
Tracy Werner and Stephanie Poulignot of Christmas Valley, Oregon are now facing robbery and assault charges. A 17-year-old boy, who Wolfe says also participated in the attack, is also in custody.
Miller said he agreed to meet the prospective buyers halfway between Christmas Valley and Nampa, settling on a grocery store parking lot in Vale to make the transaction. But when he arrived in Vale, the suspects told him there had been a minor snag, Miller said: They were having car problems, and needed him to meet them in Juntura, about an hour farther west down Highway 20.
Miller agreed.
The sheriff said the victim and the suspects ultimately met up at 3:50 p.m. just outside of Juntura, in a spot where Highway 20 widens out enough for vehicles to safely stop on the side of the road.
The trio told Miller they still wanted to buy the trailer. But as he unhooked it from his own truck and attached it to the other vehicle, they attacked, Wolfe said, punching Miller in the back of the head.
The sheriff said the trio forced Miller at gunpoint to sign a bill of sale for the trailer.
Miller, who describes the onslaught as a blur, said he was also hit with a baseball bat and a tire iron during the attack. At one point, the suspects tried to drag him into their truck, he said.
One of the suspects - either Werner or the 17-year-old, Wolfe said - wrapped him up in a choke hold, squeezing until he lost consciousness.
When he woke up, Miller said, the attackers and trailer were gone, along with cash, tools and a gun stolen from his truck.
"They left me for dead, and over something so stupid - a $1,200 trailer," he said.
Miller was found on the roadside by an Oregon Department of Transportation employee, who called law enforcement.
Although officers told him he should go to the hospital, Miller said he drove himself home instead, only later realizing he was covered in bruises.
In a case of "instant karma," Miller said, the robbers' vehicle broke down a short distance away from where he was attacked, and all three suspects were promptly arrested by Oregon State Police.
Poulignot and Werner were booked into the Malheur County Jail, Wolfe said, while the teenage suspect is in the custody of juvenile corrections.
Wolfe said anyone meeting up with strangers to buy or sell something try to stick to a populated areas and bring another person along if possible.
"The advice we give people is always be aware of your surroundings," he said. "Use your observation skills and always have in mind an exit plan."
If someone wants to carry a concealed weapon to a meet-up, the sheriff said, they should be "properly trained and proficient" with that firearm.
Miller said he did bring a gun along, but left it in his truck when he got out to unhitch the trailer.
The victim added he realized it was a mistake to conduct the sale in an isolated area, and hoped other sellers won't put themselves in the same position. Miller also warned against letting excitement over making a deal cloud judgment.
"If it's too good to be true, walk away," he said.
He has no plans to give up using Craigslist to sell equipment, but said he will be much more careful during future exchanges.
"I've got five kids, and I want to get home to see them and my wife," he said.