Young Calgarians posed as minors to lure men, assault them; all parties facing charges

Six men and one teen are facing charges after several instances of what Calgary police are calling vigilante justice.

On March 14, officers responded to reports of a man who said he had been assaulted by a group of people he didn’t know.

Further investigation determined the man had arranged to meet up with someone after communicating on an online dating app.

Once both parties arrived at the agreed upon location, four people got out of a vehicle and confronted the man, before assaulting him with a baseball bat, a replica gun, and slashing the inside of his vehicle and his tires.

CCTV footage from the area led police to a vehicle of interest in the assault.

Officers also found there had been two other assaults in the city which police believed were committed by the same people.

Investigators now believe a group of three men and one youth posed as underage teens on a dating app, attempting to lure men to secluded areas to assault them.

Videos of the assaults were also recovered from cellphones, police say.

There is a possibility more incidents have occurred that haven’t been reported to police.

Three men and one youth are now facing charges in connection to the assaults.

Alexander Roddick, 18, Reyad Said Abunada, 18, and one youth, all from Calgary, have each been charged with four counts each of aggravated assault, mischief over $5,000, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and conspiracy to commit an indictable offense. They have also been charged with one count each of robbery with a firearm and extortion.

They are all set to make appearances in court this month.

Devon William Hickey, 19, of Calgary has been charged with one count each of aggravated assault, mischief over $5,000, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, robbery with a firearm, extortion and disguise with intent.

The three victims of the assaults have also been charged in relation to arranging to meet a minor for a sexual purpose.

Victor Gonzales Villanueva, 38, David Patrick Watkinds, 68, and Jonathan Rosete, 33, all of Calgary, have been charged with one count each of child luring and invitation to sexual touching.

They are scheduled to appear in court on May 28.

The Calgary Police Service’s Hate Crime Prevention Team is investigating whether hate motivation was a factor in the assaults.

Investigators say vigilante justice is not the way to go.

“We strongly condemn the actions of all individuals involved in these incidents. Both the perpetrators of the targeted assaults and those who arranged to meet minors for illicit purposes are in the wrong. Vigilante justice is never the answer and only serves to escalate violence and undermine the rule of law,says District 2 Insp. Keith Hurley. “We urge the public to report any suspicious activity to police and to allow us to address these matters appropriately.”

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact police by calling 403-266-1234 or tip anonymously through CrimeStoppers.