A man from Prince George's County, Maryland, is accused of terrorizing two men he met on the dating app Tinder, and faces a slew of charges, including rape, kidnapping and armed robbery.
Rodney Richardson, 26, invited a Tinder date to his house in Brandywine on Feb. 10, where he raped the man at gunpoint and demanded he give Richardson his phone, ID and Social Security Number, Prince George's County police said.
Then, Richardson forced the victim to stay in the trunk of a car all night, police said. The victim told police Richardson threatened to kill him and his family.
The following morning, police said Richardson drove the victim to a bank and made him withdraw $4,500 before eventually letting him go.
"Very disturbing. The fact that he was armed makes it very disturbing and heinous types of crimes to the police department," Major Zachary O'Lare said.
On Feb. 2, police said Richardson met another man, who was an amputee, and robbed him at gunpoint of his phone, wallet and car. Police said Richardson also stole the man's crutches that he needed to walk and left him stranded in the cold.
“The victim began to crawl on his hands and knees as he was unable to walk due to being an amputee. ... [He] hid in a nearby ditch, fearing the suspect would return," court documents say.
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An off-duty officer driving by saw the victim and called for help.
Police said both victims identified Richardson in photos.
O'Lare advised that people meeting on dating apps should meet in a public place.
"Tell a friend, a family member, what times you’re gonna be meeting a person, where you’re gonna be meeting them, you know, and maybe even offer them the ability to track your phone," O'Lare said.
Richardson has been charged with rape, kidnapping, assault, armed carjacking and robbery, extortion and reckless endangerment. He is being held in jail without bond.
