PARKLAND, Wash. — A Pierce County man was allegedly kidnapped and robbed after he agreed to meet up with a woman on a dating app on Aug. 18.
The 30-year-old victim told Pierce County Sheriff's deputies that he drove to a Parkland apartment complex that day to meet a woman he had connected with on Plenty of Fish. He told deputies he was in her apartment for about five minutes when a male suspect, identified as 22-year-old Jahmichael Anthony Jeter III, appeared and pointed a gun at him.
Jeter allegedly ordered the victim to remove his clothes and give Jeter his money. The female suspect, identified as 19-year-old Hydea Marie Tharpe, then took photos of the victim, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department (PCSD).
The suspects allegedly ordered the victim to unlock his cellphone and instructed him to transfer $6,000 to their account using an app. The transaction failed after it was flagged as fraudulent, at which point the suspects made the victim attempt several other transactions on various other apps and even posed as the victim over the phone to try and get the financial account unlocked, according to PCSD.
The victim was released after three hours. The suspects allegedly threatened to send the nude photos they took to everyone on the victim's contact list if he told anyone what happened.
Deputies were able to work with the victim to identify the suspects using social media apps and other methods.
The day after the alleged kidnapping took place, deputies were dispatched to the same apartment for a domestic violence assault call. When they arrived, they recognized Jeter as the suspect from the robbery. When deputies tried to handcuff him, Jeter reached for a gun inside his pocket, according to PCSD.
Deputies were able to prevent Jeter from grabbing his weapon. Jeter was arrested and placed in the back of a patrol vehicle, according to PCSD.
In the patrol car, Jeter was caught on a rear-facing camera moving his handcuffs in front of his body and breaking the interior of the door panel in an attempt to escape, according to PCSD. Jeter also allegedly broke the top of the seatbelt fastener and used it as a tool to try and break out of the car.
Jeter was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree extortion, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and malicious mischief. His bail was set at $125,000. Jeter has prior felony convictions, including a juvenile conviction for robbery in the first degree and convictions for assault in the second degree and residential burglary as an adult.
Tharpe was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree extortion. Her bail was set at $50,000.
