A teenage couple in Texas is facing serious felony charges after police accused them of using dating apps to lure victims intoviolent robberiesthat left one boy shot four times. Investigators say the attacks unfolded within hours of each other and followed a chillingly similar pattern.
Alyssa Canul, 17, and her boyfriend Joseph Anthony Aguilar Campos, 18, were arrested this week in connection with two aggravated robberies in Universal City, a suburb northeast of San Antonio. Authorities allege the pair targeted young men through online platforms before ambushing them at predetermined meeting spots.
Police say both incidents took place on 25 May.According to Universal City Police, the first victim arranged to meet Canul through a dating app at a park bench. When he arrived, investigators allege Aguilar Campos emerged and pistol-whipped him before robbing him. The victim survived the assault.
A 17-year-old girl has been arrested in the online lure, robbery, assault, and shooting case here in Universal City. Alyssa Canul now faces two counts of aggravated robbery and could face an...
The second encounter, reports say, was far more serious. A15-year-old boyreportedly met Canul at the same park bench later that day before she allegedly persuaded him to walk back to the Villa Mesa apartments, where she and Aguilar Campos lived.
Court records obtained by local outlet KSATstate that Aguilar Campos then jumped out from nearby bushes and began loading a firearm. The victim tried to flee. Police say he was shot four times.
Investigators have not indicated whether the suspects knew he was 15 before arranging the meeting, though the case has intensified concerns around how minors are navigating online dating and social media spaces with little protection.
Despite his injuries, the teenager managed to reach a nearby coffee shop, where witnesses contacted emergency services. He was transported to hospital and is expected to recover.
Canul was arrested on 27 May and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. Authorities have also indicated she could face an additional charge of tampering with physical evidence.
Aguilar Campos was arrested a day earlier on the same aggravated robbery charges.
Source: International Business Times UK
