Police: Fayetteville man beaten, robbed during illicit encounter
A man was pistol-whipped and forced to withdraw money from an ATM on Friday after meeting a woman at a Fayetteville motel whom he had solicited online, police said Monday.
Posted — UpdatedThe man told police he connected with the woman through Backpage.com, a website that has been linked to prostitution and other illicit activity. He said they met at the Rodeway Inn, at 1957 Cedar Creek Road, but didn't engage in sex.
Someone knocked on the door of their room, and three men rushed in when the woman opened the door, he told police. After he was beaten, one of the intruders forced him to drive to an ATM about a half-mile away and withdraw $500, he said. He was then forced to drive to another ATM at a gas station near the motel, but he asked the clerk there to call police, and his captor fled.
"That clerk was able to lock the door so that those suspects could not come inside the store at that point," said Lt. Todd Joyce of the Fayetteville Police Department.
Four people were later arrested at the motel on charges of robbery with a dangerous weapon, first-degree kidnapping and criminal conspiracy: Susan Maynor, 21, Jalen Walters, 23, Raquan Melvin, 19, and Ra’sean Robinson, 19. Melanie Maynor, 19, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and some drug offenses.
Robinson and Melvin were released after posting $60,000 bonds, while the other three remain in the Cumberland County jail.
The victim was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center fir treatment of minor injuries.
"You meet someone online through some of these services, you have to be extremely careful, because you don't know if you're going to be set up for some type of robbery. This could have been a lot worse," Joyce said.
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