MIAMI, Fla. — A Miami man is facing multiple criminal charges after police say a Grindr hookup turned violent when his date realized he looked nothing like his profile picture and asked him to leave.
Luis Cesar Menendez de la Cruz, 37, was arrested Monday after allegedly attacking two men, biting them and refusing to leave a residence despite repeated demands.
According to an arrest report, Menendez de la Cruz met one of the victims through the dating app Grindr and arrived at his home wearing a hat that partially concealed his face. Once inside, the victim noticed that the man did not resemble the person pictured on his dating profile and asked him to leave.
Instead, Menendez de la Cruz reportedly requested to use the bathroom to freshen up. The victim agreed but became suspicious when he heard no activity coming from the bathroom.
When the victim again demanded that he leave and threatened to contact police, Menendez de la Cruz allegedly emerged from the bathroom completely naked and refused to go anywhere.
Investigators say the situation escalated when the victim attempted to call 911. Menendez de la Cruz allegedly snatched his phone, pinned him to a bed, forcibly kissed and licked his face, and punched him several times.
The victim eventually escaped the bedroom and sought help from his roommate, who was working in the living room.
Both men attempted to remove Menendez de la Cruz from the home, but police say he fought back, biting the original victim on the back and biting his roommate multiple times on the arm.
After the confrontation, Menendez de la Cruz allegedly returned to the bedroom, where he began speaking incoherently.
Responding officers found him naked on a bed and ordered him to get dressed and surrender. Authorities say he ignored repeated commands in both English and Spanish.
An officer deployed a Taser, but Menendez de la Cruz continued resisting, requiring additional officers to restrain him.
He was subsequently transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Menendez de la Cruz faces charges of burglary with assault or battery, robbery by sudden snatching, tampering with a witness or victim, and resisting an officer without violence.
During a court appearance Tuesday, a judge found probable cause and ordered him held without bond. The court also noted an immigration hold.
The incident has drawn attention to the potential dangers of meeting strangers through dating apps, particularly when individuals misrepresent themselves online.
The allegations remain pending, and Menendez de la Cruz has not been convicted of the charges.
