Police: Armed Robber Used Online Dating Site to Lure Victim

An Atlanta man showed up to an apartment complex on Buford Highway just after midnight on Jan. 15, presumably looking forward to a date with another man he met online earlier that evening.

But before the date began, the 32-year-old found himself standing in a parking lot, staring down the muzzle of a handgun.

The victim told police he met 18-year-old Irving Cano on a dating website and arrived at the parking lot in the apartment complex at 3555 Buford Highway at about 12:55am, the police report said. After he arrived, Cano approached the car and pointed a black handgun at him and demanded his phone. Cano also told the man he would pepper spray him if he didn't comply.

The victim handed over his Apple iPhone 4 valued at about $700, and Cano fled toward building 3555 in the complex. The victim left the scene and flagged down an officer in the middle of a traffic stop, and they returned to the apartment complex where the officer knocked on the door where another officer knew Cano lived.

When the officer questioned Cano, he said several times he didn't meet anyone earlier that evening and had been sleeping in his apartment, the report said. When asked about the stolen phone, Cano said he owned an iPhone 4 but didn't take it from anyone. While speaking with Cano, the officer noticed a can of pepper spray in the parking lot that matched the victim's description, and the victim later identified Cano as the robber.

Cano was arrested, charged with armed robbery and taken to DeKalb County Jail.