Man accused of killing man at Mesa hotel parking lot arrested

MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - A week ago, a simple meeting between two men in a Mesa parking lot turned deadly. The victim, Austin Parton, was answering an online ad for electronics before he was killed in an apparent robbery.

On Wednesday, however, an arrest was made in the case. Detectives were able to track the suspect on the popular app "OfferUp".

According to police, Parton frequently bought, repaired, and resold items using the OfferUp app. Last Wednesday, police said Parton met with 24-year-old Michael Abel at a Ramada Hotel parking lot near US 60, to buy a laptop for $500.

Investigators say Parton was lured to the sale before he was shot and killed.

According to officers, Parton's iPhone, two MacBooks, debit cards and his car were missing.

Safe zones for internet transactions are slowly becoming more popular, and while Mesa does not have a formal policy, the City of Tempe does, as well as Arizona State University, which keeps its main station police lobby open as an "Online Exchange Zone".

Abel was arrested, and now faces felony counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery.