Facebook Marketplace sale turns into attempted robbery in Burbank

NBC Los Angeles reports that a 28-year-old Carson man, Derriyon Ballard, was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery after trying to forcibly take an iPad and keyboard during a Facebook Marketplace transaction in Burbank on April 16. The seller retained possession of the items and called police; no property was stolen and the victim was unharmed. Ballard was arrested April 21 with assistance from Alhambra police and held on $50,000 bond pending prosecutor review. The article is bylined by named journalists at an established NBC affiliate and includes specific details—exact date, location, suspect name, charge, and bond amount—sourced from police. However, the independent search reveals a pattern of violent Facebook Marketplace crimes (homicides, shootings) in other jurisdictions during the same period, which the article does not address; the piece focuses narrowly on the local attempted robbery rather than situating it within a broader safety concern. Watch for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's formal charging decision and any court proceedings that follow.