A call from emergency room personnel at Oak Valley Hospital on Thursday evening put Escalon Police on the case of a strong arm robbery, which occurred in the city shortly before the victim sought medical attention.

According to police, the incident occurred about 6 p.m. and the department received the call from the ER about 6:30 p.m.

“On October 27, we had a robbery take place in the 2500 block of Jackson in a parking lot of a local business,” Escalon Police Chief Mike Borges said in a press release issued by the department.

The victim was identified as a 19-year-old male from Escalon. He told officers that he answered an ad to purchase an X Box via Craigslist.

He arranged to meet the seller at this location and when they texted him they had arrived, he met two males who were inside their car, the press release stated. The passenger of the vehicle got out of the car and went to the trunk to retrieve the X Box and put it in the back seat of the vehicle.

Borges said that the victim, who was now seated in the front passenger seat, turned to look at the X Box and the driver of the car pointed a semi-automatic pistol at him and began to demand his money.

“The driver then began to hit him in the head several times with the pistol, and the passenger grabbed him around the neck in a choke hold,” the department press release indicated. “He was pulled from the car and continued to wrestle with the suspects. At this time, he believes one of the suspects used a Taser on him. He was finally able to pull himself free of the subjects and run home.”

The teen was taken to Oak Valley Hospital in neighboring Oakdale and treated for several lacerations on his scalp as a result of the beating with the gun. He had additional injuries to his face, forehead, neck and chest as a result of the struggle with the suspects.

He described the vehicle the suspects were driving as an unknown year metallic flake green Volkswagen Jetta hatchback with a black roof rack.

Borges said the case remains under investigation.

“We have no witnesses and thus far no video,” the chief said of officers getting started on trying to piece clues together.

The victim described the diver of the car as being a heavyset Hispanic male with a buzz cut. He was wearing khaki colored cargo-style pants and a black shirt and had a possible identifying mark of a dark mole or freckle next to his right eye. The driver had the pistol in his possession, police said.

The passenger was also described as an Hispanic male, about five feet, eight inches tall, wearing a black T-shirt and black baseball cap. The passenger had a thin build, according to the victim.

“We are asking anyone who may have been in this area at the time this incident took place or information concerning this case to contact Detective Hardgraves,” said Borges.

Hardgraves can be reached at (209) 691-7358.

For those that wish to remain anonymous, they can also contact Crime Stoppers at (209) 821-4636 or 1 (866) 602-7463 or via the website at www.stancrimetips.org.