A man who was supposedly selling solar panels in Albuquerque pulled out a gun when a resident told him to leave his property.
Police are looking for the suspect, who fled the area after failing to get any customers, according to KOB 4. The man looked suspicious from the start, neighbors who live near Wyoming and Montgomery Boulevards said. He showed up in causal clothing and did not have a business card to present.
“He kept going to different houses; he didn’t have a certain order to him at all,” resident D.J. Reeves told KOB 4. “... What he was doing, to me, sir, was casing houses. Because he didn’t have any uniform, his wife-beater was dirty, [he was wearing] sports shorts, dirty shoes, no ID of any kind; that all raises red flags.”
The salesman went door to door without any luck, as residents were not convinced he was legitimate, KOB 4 reported.
Reeves told the man he wasn't interested in what he was selling. The salesman continued to talk; Reeves said the man got angry when asked to leave.
“He said he’s with ‘blah blah blah’ solar company, and I told him, ‘I heard you don’t have a card,’” Reeves said. “‘I don’t see any pamphlets. You’re not wearing a uniform. So, I’m going to ask you to stay off my property.’ For about 10 minutes, he just kept posturing, swearing, calling me every derogatory thing he could.”
The salesman stormed, off vowing to return, according to KOB 4. He made good on his threat and returned a few minutes later in a white Jeep. He stopped in front of Reeves’ house and got out of the car holding a gun. Reeves said the salesman waved the gun in the air before getting back into the Jeep and driving off.
“I’ve never met a salesperson who needed to be that aggressive or needed a firearm to make a sale,” he told KOB 4.
Reeves called 911 and spoke with someone at the Albuquerque Police Department. Reeves said he caught the incident on camera and was able to provide a description of the man, the car, the license plate number, and where he thought the salesman might live.
“We got outside cameras, we got motion sensors; we have, of course, have signs saying ‘private property,’” Reeves said. “Now, if you look at the video, it doesn’t take long to see that something ain’t right.”
