Suspects in Violent Assault Used Social Media to Lure Victim
WESLACO – A man is recovering after two women assaulted him at a Weslaco residence.
Weslaco police say the criminals used social media to lure him into the home.
The phrases, pictures, and posts stay online forever.
“Once it's been out there on the wavelengths, it’s out there,” says Weslaco Public Information Officer Bernie Garza.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office explained the man met a woman on Facebook named Kattey Loera.
However, he didn't know Kristine Dimas and Janette Loera were waiting for him.
Investigators said the duo assaulted the man with a shovel, took his money and then shot at his vehicle as he tried to leave the property.
Weslaco police pointed out the incident could have been prevented.
Garza encourages people to meet someone they've met online in a public place.
"Make it at the Wal-Mart, make it at the police department parking lot. If somebody has some ill intent they probably say, ‘No, I can’t.’ or they will make some excuse,” he says.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS social media crews spend most of their time on social media. Digital Manager Amanda Alaniz knows the traps and many ways to check if a person is real.
“You can grab their image and do a google image search and see if that leads to any other accounts that don't belong to them,” she says.
Garza says if you can't meet in public, use your phone to record and take a friend.
Hidalgo County sheriff's investigators tell us they believe this is not the first time these women used social media to commit a crime.
The victim is out of the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.