Valsyl Lazoryshyn is accused of stealing a Brooklyn man’s Maxima after seeing it advertised on Craiglist. (William Miller)
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His car was gone in less than 60 seconds.
In fact, a young Brooklyn man’s 2005 Nissan Maxima disappeared instantly after he stepped out of the driver’s seat to let a prospective “buyer” take it for a spin.
But the trusting victim, who asked not to be identified, smartened up fast and soon tracked down his stolen vehicle on Craigslist — where he originally peddled it.
With the help of the Shomrim, an Orthodox Jewish anti-crime patrol, the victim turned the tables on the alleged perp, setting up a sting Sunday night that put his car back in his driveway and the suspect under arrest.
The caper unfolded after the victim, 21, advertised his Nissan for sale on Craigslist on Dec. 29 and arranged to meet “buyer” Valsyl Lazoryshyn for a test drive, authorities said.
As the pair took the car out on Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst, Lazoryshyn asked if he could get behind the wheel, the owner said.
The victim agreed and hopped out — at which point, Lazoryshyn allegedly climbed into the driver’s seat and floored it.
“I let him get into drive, and he took off,” the hapless victim told The Post yesterday.
The embarrassed owner reported the theft to the NYPD — and also decided to do a little detective work of his own.
Scanning Craigslist later the same night, he spotted for sale a 2005 Nissan Maxima that bore a suspicious resemblance to his former ride — but with slightly higher mileage. The young Kojak called the number listed, and a light bulb went on when he heard the voice on the other end.
“I kinda knew it was him,” he said.
He enlisted the aid of Shomrim, which advised him to set up a sting by performing his own prospective-buyer act, which he did Sunday night at a gas station on 18th Avenue in Borough Park.
When Lazoryshyn appeared at the address with the car, the owner identified him, the Shomrim crew called 911, and the NYPD grabbed him after a brief foot chase.
Lazoryshyn, 24, was arraigned last night in Brooklyn Criminal Court, where felony charges were downgraded to petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, both misdemeanors. He was released after posting $500 bail.
Additional reporting by Joe Walker