Three people were attacked and robbed in Pleasant Grove after answering an ad on Grindr. Police are asking for help in apprehending the assailant.
From Dallas police:
On December 12, 2017, at approximately 12:30 a.m., four victims were lured to a vacant apartment in the 8000 block of Chariot Street and were robbed and beaten. All four victims had used the dating app “Grindr” to communicate with the suspects. Dallas police officers took a 17 year old Latin male into custody after it was discovered he was involved with committing these offenses. The Latin male is currently charged with four counts of Aggravated Robbery and is being held in the Dallas County Jail.
Since December 7, 2017, there have been three other robberies in the same area where victims were lured to the location after responding to posts on the “Grindr” dating app. Below are the dates and locations:
December 7, 2017, 8000 Rothington Road 277622-2017 1:10 AM
December 7, 2017, 8000 Chariot Drive 278372-201710:30 PM
December 8, 2017, 8000 Chariot Drive 278417-2011701:00 AM
These investigations are ongoing and it’s undetermined if the suspect arrested today is also responsible for these other offenses. There are also 3-5 Black males who were involved in today’s offense and possibly other offenses that remain at large.
Please consider these tips when meeting someone using a dating app:
• When meeting in surrounding cities that may be unfamiliar to you, always research a safe meeting location and familiarize yourself with the area
• Always meet in a well-lit, public place
• Never go alone
• Always meet during the day
• Keep your cell phone close and be ready to call 911 at the first sign of trouble
• Never give out personal or financial information
• Let someone know where you’ll be and who you are meeting
• Leave if you feel uncomfortable
The Dallas Police Department’s Robbery Unit is requesting cooperation from the media by not releasing a photograph of the arrested person at this time. Dallas Police Robbery Detectives are currently working on other cases that could be compromised if the identity of the arrested person is revealed.
Anyone with information on these offenses, is asked to call Detective Jason Jarc at (214) 671-3464. If you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at (214) 373-TIPS (8477).
— David Taffet