Dating App Meetup Led To Robbery, Kidnapping: Pierce County Sheriff

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Pierce County investigators arrested two people over the weekend who detectives said lured a man to a Parkland apartment using a dating app, held him against his will and attempted to extort thousands of dollars.

In a news release Tuesday, the sheriff's department said a 30-year-old man called 911 to report a robbery and kidnapping after he met a woman using Plenty of Fish. A few minutes after arriving at her apartment complex, deputies said a man appeared and aimed a gun at him, demanding the victim remove his clothes and hand over money.

According to investigators, the woman took photos after the man undressed and demanded that he transfer $6,000 to the suspects' account using a smartphone app. The victim said the transaction was flagged as fraudulent, and the suspects' repeated attempts to get the money through other apps also failed.

The suspects let the man go after three hours but threatened to send photos to everyone on his contact list if he reported what happened, detectives said. After calling 911, deputies worked with the man to try and identify the suspects through social media.

The next day, a domestic violence report brought deputies to the same apartment, where they recognized the man suspected in the earlier robbery. Officials said the man reached for a gun in his pocket while he was being handcuffed, but deputies prevented him from drawing the weapon. After the arrest, deputies said the suspect tried to escape the patrol car and broke a door panel.

Pierce County prosecutors filed first-degree charges alleging robbery, kidnapping, extortion, unlawful possession of a firearm and malicious mischief. The sheriff's department said the man had several prior felonies, including for burglary and assault, and is barred from owning firearms.

Deputies also arrested the woman suspected in the case, a 19-year-old, and sought robbery, kidnapping and extortion charges.