DETROIT (WWJ) – A Detroit man accused of robbing and sexually assaulting women he met on dating apps has been taken off the streets, police announced Monday.
Marcus Edwards, 27, is facing charges in at least two instances of meeting women at an apartment complex on the city’s east side, getting in their car and robbing them, and in at least one case, sexually assaulting a victim Lt. Matthew Fulgenzi said during a press conference Monday.
Fulgenzi says the department is also still investigating two other similar cases in the same area that Edwards may be responsible for. Those cases are under review by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
All four robberies happened on the street and Edwards pulled out a gun almost immediately in each case, Fulgenzi said.
The crimes Edwards is being charged with happened on Jan. 8 and Feb. 7 at the Anthos Garden Apartments, at 5045 E. Outer Drive, near 7 Mile Road, according to Fulgenzi.
Police first caught wind of Edwards after the Feb. 7 incident. Fulgenzi says a female victim, who met Edwards through Tinder, met him in the back corner of the apartment complex’s parking lot and he entered her vehicle.
He then pulled out a gun and announced robbery. The woman, whose name and age were not disclosed, fled the area and called 911. Authorities responded immediately and took a police report.
The case was forwarded to the 11th Precinct’s Detective Bureau and investigators utilized technology, including Project Green Light camera, to piece together evidence. Eventually, police identified Edwards as a suspect in that case, as well as the January robbery.
Similarly, in the January case, Edwards allegedly entered the woman's vehicle and robbed her, as well as sexually assaulted her.
Edwards was arrested last Wednesday and a gun was recovered, Fulgenzi said.
Edwards is accused of stealing jewelry and other items in the robberies, some of which has been recovered, Fulgenzi said.
The lieutenant says the biggest thing when going on a date is being aware of your surroundings.
“I think it’s important you look at the tips of online dating and meeting people,” he said.
That includes making sure someone knows where you’re at when you’re going to meet a person from a dating app and trying to meet in a public place where there are other people around, according to Fulgenzi.
“If something doesn’t look right, doesn’t feel right, get out of there,” he said.
Police are still investigating whether there may be other victims of Edwards. Anyone who may have experienced a similar incident or knows something about the crimes is asked to call the Detroit Police Department’s 11th Precinct Detective Unit at 313-596-1140.
Related
