FBI Arrested California Man Who Was Accused Of Robbing More Than 20 Gay Men He Met On Grindr Dating App

A Southern California man robbed more than 20 dates he met on a gay dating app and allegedly stabbed one victim in the chest during one robbery, according to federal prosecutors. 

RELATED:Man Charged With Eating Grindr Date’s Genitals On Christmas Eve

Derrick Patterson, 22, a citizen of the Los Angeles suburb of Compton, was taken into custody Monday by the FBI. His most current robbery happened on March 26 at a Beverly Hills hotel, law enforcement said.

Patterson targeted his victims from November 2019 to March 2022 by using the Grindr app, which is a gay dating app. He allegedly met the victims in hotel rooms or their homes for sexual encounters then he would allegedly pull out a weapon and demand the victims hand over their money and cell phones. 

RELATED:Man Charged With Kidnapping After Using Dating App Grindr To Target And Torture Gay Men

In one September 2020 incident, Patterson met a victim in a Los Angeles hotel room and both were engaging in sexual activity when he took the victim’s cell phone and attempted to access Apple Pay and asked for the password, according to court documents.

He used a taser to threaten the victim, who ran out the room, prosecutors said. When he returned, Patterson was gone but his wallet had been taken and his belongings rummaged through.