A Prince George’s County, Maryland, man who police said met a man through a dating app and then raped, kidnapped and robbed him is also accused of stealing a car from another man he met the same way.
Rodney Richardson, 26, of Brandywine, faces charges including rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, handgun offenses, and other related charges for the incident that happened on Feb. 10.
Police in Prince George’s County said the victim reported the assault to police two days after it happened.
The investigation found that Richardson met a man on a dating app and agreed to meet in Brandywine. Richardson raped the man at gunpoint, then drove him to the bank and forced him to take out money, a police news release said.
Further investigation found that Richardson was linked to a carjacking that happened on Feb. 2, when police said that Richardson met another man through a dating app and then stole the victim’s car at gunpoint. He is charged with armed carjacking, as well.
Police arrested Richardson on Feb. 13, and he remains in custody.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 301-772-4908.
Maj. Zachary O’Lare, with Prince George’s County police, said the message to anyone using online dating apps or using apps to buy or sell items is to first meet at a public place.
“Second thing is tell a friend or family member what times you’re going to be meeting a person, where you’re going to be meeting them, and maybe offer the ability to track your phone while you are encountering an individual that you do not know,” O’Lare said in a news conference Thursday.
O’Lare said it’s not an every day occurrence that police are dealing with mobile apps and sexual assaults. “It is a rare occasion,” he said, adding that if you do use them to take the proper precautions.
WTOP’s Abigail Constantino contributed to this report.
