Police Issue Public Warning After Two Robberies

From HRPD:
In light of two recent robberies, HRM Partners in Policing are warning
citizens, particularly gay men, to be cautious when meeting people in
person whom they’ve originally met on-line.

The first robbery occurred on January 2 at 6:43 p.m. at Point Pleasant
Park. A 35-year-old man picked up a man on Tower Road whom he had met
on-line and drove to that location. Moments later, two additional men
approached the vehicle, threatened the victim and demanded his money.
The victim complied and was not physically injured during the incident.
The main suspect in this case is described as a white man, approximately
20-years-old, with short dark hair and wearing a dark coat and black
jeans.

The second robbery occurred last night at 6:39 p.m. in the area of
Wellington Street and Lundy Lane in Halifax. A 29-year-old man picked up
a man on Spring Garden Road whom he had met on-line and drove to the
south end of Halifax. A few minutes later, several additional men
approached the vehicle, claimed they had a knife, and stole the
victim’s wallet and fled the area on foot. The victim was not
physically injured during the incident. The main suspect is described as
a white man, in his early twenties, 5'10", 170 lbs., wearing a dark
jacket and orange hooded sweatshirt.

Investigators believe these incidents are connected, that the person
whom the victim picks up is working with the other suspects and that
they appear to be targeting gay men through the on-line dating website
PlentyOfFish at this time.

All citizens are reminded to exercise caution when arranging to meet
someone in person whom they know little about, regardless of the on-line
dating service they use. People should select a well-lit, public
location for the meeting where there are a lot of people around. If
possible, they should tell a friend or family member(s) where they’re
going, with who and when they’ll be back.

Anyone with information about these or any other similar incidents is
asked to contact police at 490-5016 or anonymously through Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca.