A man had far from the perfect first date in Washington state when he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint as two suspects tried to rob and extort him, police said.
The 30-year-old man, who was not identified, said he had met a woman who seemed to be the same age as him on the dating app Plenty of Fish, according to a statement from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. The man said he drove to an apartment complex in Parkland, just south of Tacoma, on Aug. 20 “thinking that he was meeting a female there for a date,” according to a criminal complaint.
The man told authorities he entered the apartment “for about five minutes” when another man, later identified as 22-year-old Jahmichael Anthony Jeter III, appeared and pointed a gun at him, ordering the victim to take off his clothes. Jeter told the victim to give him money while the woman, later identified as 19-year-old Hydea Marie Tharpe, took a picture of the nude man.
The man was ordered to transfer $6,000 to Jeter and Tharpe through an app, authorities said, but the transaction was flagged as fraudulent.
“The suspects made the victim attempt numerous other transactions via various apps and even posed as the victim over the phone to try to get an account unlocked,” the sheriff’s department said. The suspects also made the man call his parents to have them transfer money to them, which was unsuccessful, according to the complaint.
After three hours the man was released but was warned that nude pictures of him would be sent to everyone in his contact list if he spoke about the incident. The victim worked with deputies and found a Facebook page identifying the duo.
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The next day, the department said, deputies were sent to the apartment for a report of a domestic violence assault, where they recognized Jeter. Authorities said Jeter reached for a gun inside his pocket as deputies tried to handcuff him, but police were able to prevent him from taking the gun out.
Jeter was placed into the back of a patrol vehicle, where camera footage showed him moving his handcuffs to the front of his body and trying to escape by breaking the door, according to the department and the complaint.
Jeter was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping, extortion, unlawful possession of a firearm and malicious mischief. Tharpe was later arrested and charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and extortion.
Jeter’s bail was set at $125,000 and Tharpe’s bail was set at $50,000. The suspects were being held at Pierce County Corrections Jail.
The sheriff’s department also gave tips for online dating safety, such as clarifying expectations when meeting, meeting a person in public and telling someone where you’re going.
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“We encourage everyone to review our online dating safety tips to help lessen your chance of becoming a victim. We also encourage parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of meeting people online,” the department said. “Always do your research and trust your instinct.”
Plenty of Fish called the incident “horrible” in a statement to USA TODAY and said they are working with law enforcement in its investigation.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.