Inset from left to right: Alyssa Canul and Joseph Anthony Aguilar (City of Universal City). Background: The Bexar County Adult Detention Center in San Antonio, Texas (Google Maps).
In a disturbing case out of Texas, a young woman is accused of using online dating platforms to ensnare unsuspecting victims in a plot orchestrated with her boyfriend to rob and attack them, according to state officials.
Alyssa Canul, 17, has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. Additionally, she may face a charge of tampering with physical evidence, as reported by authorities in Universal City, Texas. The details of these allegations are outlined in a statement from the local government.
Canul allegedly collaborated with her boyfriend, Joseph Anthony Aguilar, also 17, who was taken into custody earlier in the week. The couple, who recently relocated to Universal City, are accused of targeting young men through online dating apps, luring them into dangerous situations where they were subsequently robbed and assaulted.
In one particularly violent incident, a victim was reportedly pistol-whipped, while another, a 15-year-old, sustained four gunshot wounds but survived the ordeal. These incidents highlight the severe consequences of the alleged crimes.
The role of Canul in this scheme, as described by law enforcement and reported by San Antonio’s ABC affiliate KSAT, was to attract young men through online dating sites, setting the stage for the robberies and assaults that followed.
Canul allegedly invited the first victim — a teenage boy — to a park bench before Aguilar attacked him and took his money.
In the second case, a 15-year-old boy reportedly traveled to a park in the city to meet Canul on the same bench used in the first alleged robbery. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet, the girl then lured the boy to Aguilar’s apartment about a half mile away.
As they approached, Aguilar is said to have made a “loud noise” and showed himself to the teen as he loaded a gun. When the victim tried to run, Aguilar reportedly shot him four times and robbed him.
The boy managed to get to a nearby coffee shop where individuals there called 911. He was brought to a nearby hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators say they caught Canul speaking on the phone with Aguilar and telling him that she got rid of the gun used in the robberies.
Aguilar faces two aggravated robbery charges.
On Friday, Canul was arrested and detained in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center.