Reading police have arrested a homeless man they said robbed three men who were lured under the pretense of a rendezvous by a female teen accomplice they met through a dating website.
In addition to being charged Wednesday in the three robberies that occurred throughout last week, David O. Border, 22, had an outstanding arrest warrant for burglary in the May 11 break-in of Trooper Thorn’s Irish Beef House in Reading.
Border and his 16-year-old accomplice were arrested by city detectives Tuesday in the 300 block of North 11th Street, Sgt. John M. Solecki of the criminal investigations section said.
Border ran out the back door when officers arrived at a relative’s home but officers had the residence surrounded and took him into custody.
Border admitted to committing the robberies in the 1100 block of Elm Street after conspiring with the 16-year-old girl he described as like a sister to him, according to court papers.
He was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of combined $80,000 bail after arraignment Tuesday night before Senior District Judge Richard A. Gatti in Reading Central Court.
He is charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of making terroristic threats, one count of aggravated assault and related counts, as well as burglary-related charges.
According to investigators:
Each of the victims had conversed for a period of time with the girl, who put her profile on dating sites such as Meet24 and MeetMe. She arranged to meet the men at specific addresses within the 1100 block of Elm Street.
Border waited and Elm and Locust streets and confronted the men when they arrived for the rendezvous.
He told them they needed to stop talking with his “sister” because she was less than 18 years old, then demanded money and their cellphone.
On July 13 about 12:30 a.m., Border robbed a man of $80 and his cellphone, valued at $120. The victim wasn’t injured.
On July 15 at 10:30 p.m. Border robbed a man of $116 and his cellphone, valued at $300. The victim wasn’t injured.
On Sunday about 7 p.m., Border assaulted and robbed a man of his cellphone, valued at $200. He repeatedly punched the victim because he wouldn’t give up his phone, then picked up a large rock and threatened to beat him with it until he surrendered the device.
The victim in the July 15 robbery gave investigators the profile information of the girl he had arranged to meet and police identified her through her photo.
Police recognized the photo because the girl was reported as a runaway by her family, Solecki said.
She was charged with robbery and conspiracy as a juvenile and is being detained in Abraxas Academy to await a hearing before Berks County juvenile authorities.
In the Trooper Thorn’s burglary, Reading police said Border forced open a window screen in the rear of the building to get inside. Surveillance video shows he unsuccessfully tried to take a TV before taking 10 bottles of liquor worth about $200, five cases of beer valued at about $100 and a case of Red Bull energy drink valued at about $36.
Contact Steven Henshaw: 610-371-5028 or shenshaw@readingeagle.com.
