Pet theft during robbery
Man accused of robbing, kidnapping victim met on Grindr dating site
April 5, 2017
A man was robbed and kidnapped Saturday after he visited the Boynton Beach residence of another man he met on a social networking site, according to an arrest report.
The victim, who is not being identified by Boynton Beach police, was taken at knife point back to his home, which was then ransacked by three men, the report said. Among the items stolen was the victim’s dog, named Coco.
Vadol Marquise Reed, 22, is facing charges of robbery with a firearm and kidnapping, police said.
A second man was arrested by Boynton police but has since been released pending further investigation, police said.
The victim told officers he began chatting March 31 with Reed on Grindr, a gay dating site. On Saturday, Reed invited the man over to his home on the 400 block of Northeast 10th Avenue.
While the victim was in the company of Reed, two masked men entered the room where they were sitting, the report said. One man held a knife and the second a metal pole. Reed allegedly pulled out a handgun and told the victim to relinquish everything of value.
With a knife to his throat, the robbers forced the victim to drive to his home where they stole numerous items, including Coco, the report said.
The victim was allegedly forced to drive the men back to the residence in Boynton Beach and was told not to report the incident or they would return to kill him.
Scared of retribution, the victim told Boynton Beach police he did not report the robbery to law enforcement but instead published an alert on the LGBT Facebook page, the report said.
The victim then received a message from another man who said he was also robbed at the Boynton home.
“The other male stated that he also did not report the incident because he was scared; however, the two together felt like they needed to do something or others would fall victim,” a Boynton officer wrote in the report.
Coco has since been returned to the victim, police said.
Police believe that Reed and the two other men are also responsible for at least two other robberies of men they met on Grindr, police said.
DNA Florida
The contents of this file has been taken from public sources and first-hand accounts and is for informational purposes only; and not to be considered a legal document.
