A Wallaceburg, Ont., man was arrested on Tuesday and is facing multiple charges after London police say he lured people to a home and robbed them of their belongings at knifepoint.
According to police, two of the alleged victims thought they were meeting up with someone to purchase items they had found on the online classifieds website Kijiji.
In each of the alleged incidents — one that took place on Feb. 1 and the other on April 24 — police said the alleged victims went to a residence in the area of Hamilton Road and Hume Street to purchase items they had found for sale on Kijiji. According to police, they were then locked into the home and allegedly robbed at knifepoint of their money and belongings.
On April 26, a third alleged victim thought he was meeting a woman he had spoken with on the dating website Plenty of Fish, police said. The man was allegedly robbed at the same address.
London police say a 28-year-old man has been charged with 10 offences, including armed robbery, forcible confinement and assault with a weapon.
“To ensure your safety, when buying or selling an item or meeting people through an online service, it is essential to do so in a public place,” said Det. Sgt. Ryan Scrivens in a statement.
The accused in the case is set to appear in court on Thursday. He also faces charges of uttering death threats and disguise with intent.