Man on JACK'D date beaten and held at gunpoint in Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- New surveillance video shows the terrifying moments as a victim was assaulted, robbed and left fearing for his life.
Police say over a three-week period, there were seven robberies in the Houston area where the suspect used an app was to connect with his victims.
The most recent one, however, may be a copycat and not related to the first six, according to an HPD robbery detective.
Man uses dating app called 'JACK'D' to rob 6 people within weeks, police say
The most recent robbery happened on Sept. 30 around 9:30 pm.
In the seventh robbery, the victim, who does not want to be identified, said he went to meet someone he had met through the dating app JACK'D.
The victim told Eyewitness News the situation seemed strange when he arrived. Then he said he was approached by multiple suspects. One punched him so hard in the face that he was knocked to the ground.
Surveillance video shows the suspect punch the victim. Once he was on the ground, you then see the suspects dig through the victim's pockets, while another suspect stands back, holding a rifle.
The victim said, "I thought I was going to die." Fortunately, he is okay.
The victim's 2018 SUV was stolen and recovered by police days later. Police are hoping DNA inside of the vehicle can help in the case, along with the surveillance video.
There are striking differences between the most recent robbery and the other six, which is why police say it's possible the seventh robbery was a copycat, but they can't say for sure.
Robber using Jack'd dating app to lure victims becoming more violent, police say
In the first six robberies, officers say the suspect robbed the victims at gunpoint of their belongings. The victim's vehicle was not stolen, no one was physically harmed and the suspect appeared to be alone.
However, the robbery on Sept. 30 was much more violent. Plus, there were at least five suspects.
Also, in the most recent robbery, the victim was able to see the suspect's face. In the other robberies, his face was covered.
A sketch artist is meeting with the victim on Thursday.
The robberies happened in southeast Houston. They've occurred all within about two miles of each other.
One robbery occurred in the 8600 block of Glenside, five occurred in the 8600 block of St. Lo Road and the most recent occurred in the 4200 Dawson Ln.
Police caution the use of an online dating app, saying you really don't know who you're meeting. If you do meet someone, go to a public place during the daylight hours.
If you have any information on the suspect, call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or the Houston Police Robbery Division.
You can also submit an anonymous tip at www.Crime-Stoppers.org. You could receive a reward up to $5,000.
