Havana

Duo Arrested After Robbery During Backpage Meet-up, Police Say

A Miami-Dade man said he regrets responding to an ad he saw on Backpage.com last week, because he ended up getting robbed at knife point.

Michael Dominguez told NBC 6 in an exclusive interview Tuesday that he met someone on the website to de-stress, but little did he know the online encounter would end up in a violent struggle.

"It was still a shock," said Dominguez.

The meet-up happened at the Burkes Motel on Southwest 8th Street in Little Havana over the weekend. Alejandro Vasquez and Marieddy Garcia allegedly attacked Dominguez at the motel and robbed him, according to an arrest report.

Early Saturday, the alleged victim checked into the motel to meet up with the woman he thought he met online.

When he texted the woman that he was at the motel, another unidentified woman showed up and so did Garcia, an arrest report said. The women solicited the victim for sex, but Dominguez refused saying this was not the deal. According to the police report, Dominguez said the deal was supposed to be consensual and that he was not "paying for sex." 

The women became enraged and that when the situation turned violent.

“The unidentified codependent produced the knife and told victim it was a robbery and that he was not to scream or she would cut and kill them as this defender took would tie him up with tape,” a translator explained at a bond hearing Monday.

But, Dominguez put up a struggle and ended up getting the knife. Then, both women ran out of the motel room yelling for help, but the victim took their cell phone, according to a police report.

“At the time they didn't know that. So, they left and immediately came right back upon realizing that her phone was left with the victim. So, when they returned all three went to attack the victim again,” a translator said.

This time, the woman allegedly came back with Vasquez. The victim said the suspects got away with his cash and cellphone.

Garcia and Vasquez were arrested and charged with armed robbery with a deadly weapon. Both were ordered held on no bond.

The third suspect remained on the run.

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