Men affiliated with Salisbury U. fraternity used dating app Grindr to lure and attack man: Police

SALISBURY, Maryland (7News) — Seven Salisbury University (SU) students affiliated with a fraternity are accused of using a dating app to attract, threaten and assault another man in mid-October, according to Salisbury police.

Police said the suspects, ages 18 to 20, created a fake account on the gay dating app Grindr, pretended to be 16 and convinced the victim to meet at an apartment in the 1400 block of University Terrace. 15 October.

But when the victim arrived, she told police she heard a suspect yelling “YES YES” before 15 men came out of a back bedroom and forced her into a chair.

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The victim was reportedly forced to read a handwritten weather report for several minutes, while college-age men “slapped, punched, kicked, and spit” on her while yelling homosexual slurs, according to a police officer; most of these were recorded in several videos. report. In one video, police said a suspect hit the male victim with cooking paper and then called him another insult.

After several attempts, the man managed to leave, but not without numerous bruises and a broken rib.

Salisbury police were not notified until Oct. 31, two days after two people who saw one of the videos reported the incident to SU police. Police said the man who shared the videos gave his phone to authorities, but not before telling police the videos had been deleted.

Authorities were able to recover and review the videos and locate the victim, who told police she did not report the crime for fear of retaliation. The school confirmed to 7News that the victim was not an SU student.

The names of the seven students arrested were stated as Ryder Baker (20), Riley Buster (20), Cruz Cespedes (19), Dylan Earp (20), Elijah Johnson (19), Zachary Leinemann (18) and Bennan Aird (18). First-degree assault, false imprisonment, reckless endangerment and related hate crime charges before being released to the Wicomico County Detention Center. Four of those arrested were from Anne Arundel County.

according to New York TimesA lawyer for one of the men said all seven were released from police custody on Wednesday.

“Salisbury University condemns any act of violence. We are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for everyone on and off campus,” a University spokesperson said in a statement to 7News. “Any student who commits an act of violence can expect to face criminal charges as well as disciplinary action under SU’s Community Standards Student Code. The crimes described are in direct conflict with the values ​​of Salisbury University and the values ​​we stand for. Hate has no place at SU. “

The university also shared a letter to campus following the students’ arrests on Tuesday.

SU President Dr. “The thought of SU students committing any crime is distressing, but the thought of SU students committing crimes of such a disturbing nature is truly appalling,” Carolyn Lepre wrote.

Dr. “Acts of violence against LGBTQ+ and Ally communities are not only devastating, they also contradict the principles of community, respect and belonging that bind us together as a university,” Lepre added.

Read the full statement below:

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