Teen uses dating app ‘MeetMe’ to lure men to be kidnapped and robbed by her accomplices
Late-night dates turned into terrifying rides for two male victims in South Florida. And detectives in Broward County believe that there are still more victims out there. In the two most recent instances, the unsuspecting male dates were kidnapped and robbed after meeting up with Ednita Leon-Alamo, who went under the name Emily Perez on dating app ‘MeetMe’.
The first victim met Leon-Alamo around 1 a.m. on August 7 at a house in Deerfield Beach. The second victim met Leon-Alamo around 2 a.m. on August 8 in Pompano Beach.
The modus operandi in both instances was the same. Leon-Alamo meets men on the app MeetMe and lures the victims to a quiet and remote location. Once there, several masked males ambush and kidnap the victims at gunpoint. Leon-Alamo rides along as the group goes from ATM to ATM.
In one of those kidnapping / robberies where the masked suspects drove from ATM to ATM for about three hours, the bad guys hit their victim, several times, “in the back of the head with a gun,” according to The Miami Herald.
The MeetMe profile that (Broward County Sheriff’s Office) BSO says Leon-Alamo used to lure victims said the female seen only in silhouette was Emily Perez, a 21-year-old from Pompano Beach looking for “Dating, Chat, Friendship.”
The August 7 message said, ”I am just trying to chill someone hmu” ~ The Miami Herald
The victims were released under the threat that if they contacted police, they’d get in trouble because Leon-Alamo is a teenager and not an adult as she claimed on the app. In reality, Leon-Alamo is only 17-years-old, not 21 as she claimed to be on MeetMe, according to The New York Post.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office detectives are focused on identifying other victims and not pursuing charges against anyone who was duped.
Through investigative work, BSO robbery detectives arrested Leon-Alamo, 17, on August 16. Her two cohorts, Peterson Joachim, 22, and Shnyder Dumas, 19, were arrested on September 20 and September 26 respectively. Leon-Alamo and Joachim have a three-month-old child together.
Both men are looking at two counts each of armed robbery, kidnapping and carjacking.
Anyone who has fallen victim is asked to contact Robbery Det. Neil Munson or Det. Robert Sokol at 954-321-4200. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or online at browardcrimestoppers.org. Anonymous tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for a reward of up to $3,000.
(Source: Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
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~ Written by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
