Authorities in Chicago have charged a man with three robberies that have taken place in or near hotels in the area.
In each of the incidents, men were lured to the crime scenes via messages on the dating app, Grindr. Once they arrived, instead of the expected Grindr date, they were confronted by a man demanding their money and other valuables.
In one of the charged incidents, the suspect is alleged to have pulled out a Taser stun gun.
Related: Details emerge of ‘sophisticated’ new Grindr scam called “DiCaprio”
Issuing a warning last week, cops said they knew of at least four incidents that had taken place since late last year. They were unsure if they were seeking one or more men in connection with the crimes.
In two of the incidents that police publicized last week, victims refused to hand over money and were Tasered.
Issuing an alert, police department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Grindr was cooperating fully with his department’s investigation and they were following up several leads.
Following that police call out for information, on Monday, Davion Johnson, 20, from Souk Village, was arrested and charged for three robberies, according to Chicago Sun-Times.
Related: Man charged over Grindr Christmas Eve murder and mutilation case
This included a January, 23, robbery at the W Hotel on North Lake Shore Drive. The 42-year-old victim told police he was in town on a layover.
He arranged to meet Johnson in the hotel lobby. From there, they went to Johnson’s hotel room, where Johnson is alleged to have pulled out the Taser, before stealing money, credit cards and the man’s phone.
Johnson has also been charged with robberies at a hotel and apartment block on November 5 and 6, 2019. On each occasion, older men were targeted via Grindr.
Johnson has been charged with a felony count each of armed robbery and robbery, and a misdemeanor count of theft.
Police have not revealed whether they are still seeking any other suspects. Similar incidents took place at the Embassy Suites Hotel on December 22, 2019, and then the Loop’s Cambria Hotel on January 6, 2020. On the latter occasion, cops arrested a man. However, they had to let him go when the 60-year-old victim decided he didn’t want to press charges.
Johnson was released yesterday on bail and will return to court February, 10.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Geeze, those guys must have been desperate for some peen…That guy is one fugly looking perp….
he>me
you are the fugly looking stupid fool. your spittle will kill millions, your breath will bend trees and your physiognomy begs for the Second Coming.
get in your corner and slit your wrists.
Donston
I do sometimes wonder how much of these “Grindr Crimes” are executed by “queer males”. I assume a decent amount are. Many of these guys target “gays” not only because of the easy access but also because they see “gays” as beneath them. They feel no guilt robbing “fags” who are desperate for peen. However, sometimes it’s other shit that is the catalyst. Self-misandry is fairly widespread among “queer males”. A guy is sexually abused by a male when he’s younger, or he’s bullied by guys while growing up and/or he can’t live up to conventional masculine standards. Those things scar him, and he ends up resenting all males or resenting masculinity. It’s not at all uncommon. Internalized homophobia, toxic masculinity, self-misandry, effemiphobia and gay shame are things that are not significantly harmful to the guys who are heterosexual or who are confidently and truly hetero-leaning. But they can cut deep for homosexual males and males who are overall homo-leaning on the spectrum. They can especially be debilitating for guys who are very conflicted and confused about who they are and what they want. This is why I focus so much on the spectrum, sociology and mental health.
Of course, a good amount of these crimes aren’t perpetrated by “queers”. And this particular guy could be 100% “straight” and hetero. I just wanted to bring up what can be part of the driving force behind some of these types of behaviors and crimes.
bigblackhose
“…misandry” – excellent.
Bob LaBlah
As I have said at least ten times already this year alone (thanks to articles posted so far on Queerty) the safest place to hookup with strangers is the bathhouse. If they have a problem with it then I strongly advise you to leave that particular hookup a fantasy. You would be surprised the hot guys who frequent bathhouses looking for the same thing you are, sex, and feel the same way about internet hookups (as in they too feel a bathhouse is safer and more hassle free than letting someone know where you live or that you can afford a $500-900 per nigh suite).
In 2018 here in Oklahoma men were being lured to a neighborhood and held hostage with one incident ending with the kidnappers emptying an automatic pistol at the poor guy as he ran away in fear for his life. It was that incident that ending up revealing that this had been going on for months with not ONE of those kidnapped imbeciles reporting it to the police or going back looking for revenge. I don’t give one damn who gets offended but this is predator/animal behavior. Predators stalk territory (gay hookup sites) looking for prey and the unsuspecting victims. In NYC two years ago a former thug porn star turned crackhead was killed by one of his victims who turned the tables on him but the victim gets charged with murder because drugs were involved. These people (the victims) are letting passion, drugs and internet porn get in the way of common sense. That Deangelo Jackson who has led you on to think that you’re on your way to meet might on some dark street to have Gay AVN Award winning sex with just might end up being the one thats going to do your ass in. Only a sociopath/animal would ignore obvious security cameras throughout a hotel recording his and your every move and rob you anyway.
Donston
Bathhouses aren’t a regular thing outside of major cities. (Neither are gay clubs any longer for that matter). And some guys are scared of being outed, which is more likely if you visit a bathhouse. Some don’t want to be surrounded by people. They don’t want to socialize. They just want a low key lay. And don’t it cost money to get into a bathhouse? Some want an entirely free lay. Furthermore, some men get off on the potential danger of these App hookups. And some are looking for dudes who present themselves as “straight” or “mostly into girls” or “bi guys”. It’s more difficult to get that fantasy through a bathhouse. It’s not just always about a hookup. It’s often about fantasy and something that will get your adrenaline going.
Bob LaBlah
The last I heard Chicago is a major city. It is unfortunate that Man’s Country (I feel sorry for any gay man who didn’t have the pleasure of visiting one of the last bathhouses in the country that had live shows such as singers and such) is no longer in business but good ol’ Steamworks is still there. You just have to wait practically all night in line for your chance to enter. But hey, it is their LIFE, PROPERTY and choice, hunh? If they see outing themselves to a police officer/detective or emergency room nurse is better than giving an ID to enter a bathhouse so that in case you have a medical emergency such as a slip and fall of heart attack they’ll know who you are at least then who am I to criticize.
Donston
Of course I was speaking about non Chicago-like cities. But even if you live in a big metro city a bathouse might be hard to come across or might be a ways away. Apps offer instant gratification. They can offer greater anonymity. They offer the potential fantasy that bathhouses don’t. Bathhouses are “too gay” and old-fashioned for dudes dealing with internalized homophobia or for guys who are specifically looking for “straight”, closeted, on the DL, overall hetero-leaning guys, guys who have wives/gf’s. There’s a reason why many dudes apparently talk about their straightness or being closeted or having a wife or gf on these “gay apps”. It makes them more desirable to many. And as I said, a lot of guys get off on the potential danger of a random hookup at a random place. I’ve never been to a bathhouse nor have I used any of those apps. I’m just explaining why bathhouses aren’t really a thing for many.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
BobLaBlah: You are actually correct, Except for lockers being broken into, I can’t ever recall an assault in a bathhouse…
Plus there is really only one place to hide a weapon in a bathhouse…….. 🙂
Bob LaBlah
Play, as you and I admitted a few weeks ago, we came from the old, pioneering days of Queerty. For that reason I want to share this with you before it vanishes (and by the time I’m done I’m sure you will understand why I put it just like that).
You made a comment a few days ago regarding a reappearing app that sees to get by the censors (remember ol’ Celeste Brooks and her merciless deleting of comments a few years ago?). Last week someone posted a comment that had been answered by some one else only three minutes before I logged on. I had already posted a comment the night before and I was checking to see if anyone had responded. Someone had responded to the original commenter (the lead) but not me. I read the response and was going to comment to the person who made the responding comment but then phone rang and I answered it. When I came back four or five minutes later both the leading comment as well as the response had vanished into thin air but for some reason or other my comment, which was clearly directed at the lead commenter remained but only as a single comment. It was clear what I had said was aimed at someone else and not the article but it remained. No cursing or derogatory references, nothing like that at all was present in any of the comments. Now as you and I along with everyone else knows by now you are given only five minutes to either edit or delete your comment BEFORE it posts. There is no personal delete button for us to use once the comment has posted (I wish there were because I have said things that I wanted to take back as has just about ALL of us at least once). That led me to think for some reason or other that my suspicions about how these spammers are getting “thru” the blockade (shall we say) are correct. Remember the one that used to take part of what you said and then go off into their promotion of the website they were promoting? Two and two is adding up to four. If I were you I wouldn’t waste me time responding to a clear advertisement if you get my drift. It is what it is and that “is” happens to be: its THEIR site, not ours, and they are going to do what they want to do. I hope you got to read this before it vanishes.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Bob LaBlah: agreed!
C_Alan
At some point in the future it will be deemed uncool to look at your cell phone in public. Can’t wait.
bigblackhose
@Donston – excellent!