Calgary couple attacked at home by robbers responding to online ad

A Calgary couple's desperate struggle during a violent attempted robbery in their home was caught by security cameras.

A Calgary couple says they were forced to fight for their lives during a violent attempted robbery in their Dover home, after two men posing as buyers for an online sale turned on them almost immediately.

Jason Nguyen had listed an expensive laptop for sale and says two men arrived Saturday afternoon to test it. They came inside, removed their face coverings and appeared ready to complete the transaction.

“The moment that I turned towards the laptop, that’s when I was hit with the bear spray. They sprayed all across my face, towards the eye, and at that point, I’m just acting reactively,” Nguyen said.

Unable to see, Nguyen says he grabbed one of the assailants and was further assaulted while trying to prevent the men from entering deeper into the house.

“I was being dragged out,” he said. “I was getting hit in the head, punched in the ribs and then also kicked, and I got dragged down to that step down there.”

Nguyen says he refused to let go until he could be certain his wife was not in harm’s way.

“The safety of my wife is (my) priority. So once I confirmed that she was behind me and the two guys were in front of me, then that’s when I decided to let go.”

‘I just grabbed the shovel’

At the same time, Nguyen’s wife, Nanh Au, ran in from another room after hearing a loud crash.

“I see he’s being dragged outside, and in front of our house, we have the shovel,” she said.

“So I just grabbed the shovel and hit the individual that (was) hurting my husband until he let him let go.”

Moments later, Nguyen says one of the attackers unexpectedly re-entered the home.

“We later found out that he was coming in to retrieve a dropped phone. He dropped his phone, so he came in, and he picked up his phone and the bear-spray canister,” he said.

“At that point, I still didn’t know why he was re-entering our home.”

Nguyen says he fought the man back to the doorway while Au held her ground with the shovel until the intruder fled.

The couple called police, who responded along with fire crews to ventilate the home. Calgary police say the assault is extremely serious and urge anyone selling goods online to meet buyers in public, monitored spaces.

Police Insp. Jason Walker says the robbery unfolded almost immediately after the men talked their way inside. He says the use of bear spray as a weapon elevates the incident to being a serious assault.

“This is an assault. This is a robbery. This is extremely serious,” he said.

“Within about 60 seconds, there was an attack, an attempted robbery, a fight and then the offenders fled on foot.”

Police seek video footage

Police are asking residents in south Dover to review any doorbell or dash-cam footage from Saturday between 3 and 5 p.m. as the investigation continues. Walker says detectives are also examining whether this attack is linked to similar robberies reported in the city.

“Do we have people out there doing this on the regular? Regrettably, yes, we do,” said Walker.

“Do we know this is tied to one of those things? We don’t know that yet, but we’ll certainly be looking into that.”

Nguyen says he has since heard from several other Calgarians who claim they were targeted by the same two men.

The couple says they’re speaking out in hopes of preventing someone else from being attacked.

The Better Business Bureau says the attack is a reminder that criminals often target people selling high-value electronics through social media platforms. BBB spokesperson Wes Lafortune says meeting buyers at home creates unnecessary risk, as safer options exist.

“If you’re going to meet somebody, do not meet them at your home. Many people go to the parking lot of a police station and meet there during daylight hours,” Lafortune said.

“Take somebody with you, choose a public spot and be very cautious about how much personal information you share online.”