News (USA)

4 teens allegedly used Grindr to assault & rob a man at gunpoint

Police tracked down the fleeing suspects using a K9 dog and a drone camera.
By
Dusty Bailey Jr. and Grindr
Dusty Bailey Jr. and Grindr Photo: Killeen Police Department / Shutterstock

Police in Killeen, Texas have arrested four teens for allegedly using the gay social app Grindr to rob and assault a man at gunpoint. The teens have been charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery charges.

Around 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 2, a patrolman reportedly saw the unnamed alleged victim and three other men standing in the street. The victim “frantically” waved his arms to get the officer’s attention, KDFW reported.

Related:

Gay Brit says Qatari cops lured him on Grindr before falsely arresting him for drugs

The man went to a date’s apartment as cops claimed to have found meth in his possession.

When the officer stopped his patrol car, the three others reportedly fled. The officer trailed one individual, leading to the arrest of 17-year-old Dusty Andrew Bailey Jr. as Bailey allegedly pulled off a face mask and tried to enter a nearby house.

The patrolman then called additional officers and, using a K9 dog and a drone camera, they located the three other suspects, two 16-year-old and a 15-year-old (all male), hiding inside a storage shed. The teens had a handgun and a BB gun that looked like a shotgun, KWTX reported.

According to the victim, the suspects had used Grindr to lure him to a nearby address and then robbed him at gunpoint, hitting him with one of the guns. The suspects then allegedly took the man’s car keys and planned to transport him to another location, walking the man to his car when he waved down the officer on the street.

All four suspects were taken to the Bell County Juvenile Detention Center, though the others besides Bailey weren’t publicly identified because they are minors. Judge Randy Dale arraigned Bailey. The judge set his bond at $600,000.

The Killeen Police Department Robbery and Homicide Unit is investigating other similar local incidents to see if they are related.

Don't forget to share:

News (USA)
arrests Grindr Robbery Texas

Support vital LGBTQ+ journalism

Reader contributions help keep LGBTQ Nation free, so that queer people get the news they need, with stories that mainstream media often leaves out. Can you contribute today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated

The West doesn’t accept polygamy so Ghana doesn’t have to accept gay people, pol argues

Previous article

Syphilis rates continue to rise in the U.S. as experts warn of “out-of-control” STI crisis

Next article

More on LGBTQ Nation