Photo: Christopher Baselyos
May 31, 2022 – Ventura County, Ca.
Either a candidate for Most Creative Use of Weaponry During a Robbery or for Pointless Robbery of the Year, 24-year-old Reseda, CA resident Christopher Baselyos nevertheless finds himself sitting in the Ventura County Jail charged with armed robbery, with his bail set at $200,000.
According toe Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Sgt. Rob Yoos, it all began on March 31, 2022 when deputies responded to a report of a robbery that had occurred at a Thousand Oaks residence. The reporting victim indicated that he’d “placed an ad on a social media platform offering to sell video games,” which led to an agreement to meet with a prospective buyer at the seller’s home.
Upon arrival, however, Baselyos promptly whipped out “a large can of chemical agent” and proceeded to spray its contents in the face and on the neck and upper body of his seller. With the victim-seller temporarily disoriented and disabled, Baselyos then made off with the video games that had been offered for sale and promptly fled the area.
Detectives attached to the East County Major Crimes Unit sthen pent the ensuing two months working through phone records and internet service provider email data. That painstaking technical work led to the identification of Baselyos, who was contacted by detectives at his residence in Moorpark. With the help of patrol officers attached to the Moorpark Police Department, Baselyos was taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail and booked on a robbery charge.
Photo: Courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
