Arima man robbed after Grindr meet-up

ANOTHER violent incident linked to the Grindr dating app has been reported in Santa Cruz, marking the third such attack in the area over the past month.

In the most recent case, a 25-year-old man from Arouca was lured and assaulted by a group of men after chatting with a man he met on the app.

According to reports, around 2 am on June 9, officers from the San Juan CID were on patrol when they received a report of a robbery via the E999 Command Centre. The officers responded to the scene at Sun Valley Road, Lower Santa Cruz, where they met the victim.

He told police that earlier, around 12.05 am, he began chatting with a man on the app, and they agreed to meet at the location. The victim drove to the area in his grey Mitsubishi Lancer around 12.45 am.

On arrival, he was confronted by two men who announced a robbery. He described both suspects as being of African descent, approximately six feet tall, slim-built, and dark in complexion.

One suspect wore a white T-shirt and black shorts and had plaited hair, while the other wore long jeans and a white shirt, had a low haircut, and was armed with a stone.

The suspects stole the victim’s iPhone and $50 in cash before forcing him out of his vehicle. One of the assailants beat the victim on the head before both men fled the scene in his car.

The victim was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for treatment. A broadcast was later issued for the stolen vehicle.

This incident follows two similar attacks reported in Santa Cruz in recent weeks. On May 29, a 21-year-old man from Samaroo Village, Arima, was robbed after arranging to meet someone through Grindr.

He parked his silver Honda Civic on Saut D'Eau Road and walked into a nearby dirt track where he was ambushed by four masked men. The attackers stole his wallet, iPhone XR, Samsung A15, and car keys, valued in total at approximately $24,100, before driving off in his vehicle.

Earlier, on May 9, another man was robbed after going to Prince Street to meet someone he had connected with through the app.

The victim, who had driven his white Toyota Daihatsu valued at $25,000 to the location, was ordered out of his car by the suspect, described as being of African descent, about five foot teen inches tall, slim-built, with long, unkempt hair.

The suspect stole the car along with the victim’s Samsung S21 Plus, valued at $7,000, and a pair of glasses worth $4,000.

Grindr is a location-based social networking and dating app designed for gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The app enables users to connect with others nearby. It is the largest social networking platform for the LGBTQ+ community.