VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 21-year-old man said he was carjacked by an 18-year-old woman and her two friends in Virginia Beach after he met her on a popular online dating site.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team tracked down the victim and spoke with him about the terrifying ordeal. He didn't want his identity revealed because of safety concerns but he did want to share what happened to him.
It started off as a match on Tinder.
“We've been talking for like a month or so and she wanted to hang out, or whatever we usually do,” he said.
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A search warrant states that he picked her up on April 13 at her house and she apparently said she wanted to pick up two friends on Hawk Avenue in Virginia Beach.
“She wants to go pick up two of her friends," he said. "I have no idea who they are."
He said he noticed her texting a lot on the way to her friend's home.
The man and the three teenagers pulled into a Lidl parking lot near Holland Road around midnight.
“I parked there, put it in park and then we sit there for like, I would say a minute... Then all of a sudden, I hear the gun cock," he said.
He said the friend in the backseat pulled out a gun.
“Over my right shoulder, she has the gun to my shoulder and she is behind me,” he said.
He said they told him to get out of the car but demanded the keys and his phone. He said at first, he thought they were trying to be funny, but then realized it was no joke and he was shocked.
He said they took off with his car.
He said he was able to track down a nearby police officer and hours later, they found his car.
Investigations
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Police arrested an 18-year-old woman and charged her with felony robbery, carjacking and two misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Two 14-year-old girls were also arrested, according to police.
Looking back, the victim said he was too trusting of the teen he met online and didn't know her age.
“I didn't ask too much and I didn't really have like a whole lot of information. I just knew how she looked,” he said.
A Pew Research Center study in 2023 found that about half of adults under 30 have used a dating site or app.
Richard James, a crime analyst and former detective with 30 years of experience, said technology has drastically changed the dating scene.
“The internet has made it very convenient and there are many people that are very happily married after meeting somebody online,” he said.
But the Pew study also found that about half of users of all ages said they’ve come across someone they think was trying to scam them.
“There are always people out there looking to victimize other people," said James. "You've just got to make sure that you protect yourself at all times."
The victim told the News 3 Investigative Team, “I have learned from it, so I definitely won't be doing this again.”
He also warned others to be extremely cautious when talking to people online.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN, has some tips for those using online dating. You can read those tips here.
