11 teens arrested in Illinois for using gay dating apps to lure men to beating as part of social media trend

On July 8, a 41-year-old man contacted law enforcement to report that he had been assaulted by a group of teenagers in a parking lot around 9:45 pm. According to police, the man arranged a meeting through a dating app but was ambushed upon arrival. When he tried to flee to his car, he was unable to get away as the teens began beating him.

"The victim related that he had utilized an online dating app to arrange to meet a person at that location," police said. "After arriving, the victim related that he was approached by a group of teenage males, who confronted him verbally and battered him. Teenagers in the group also damaged the victim’s vehicle."

The second attack happened later that evening, about a mile from the first incident. A 23-year-old man reported being beaten under similar circumstances after arranging to meet someone through a dating app, though the exact gay dating app has not been disclosed by law enforcement.

The man managed to drive away, despite his car tires being slashed, and alerted nearby residents, who contacted police.

"The Mount Prospect Police Detectives were able to locate video surveillance footage that captured the incident at 606 West Northwest Highway and were able to identify some of the offenders in the video," police said. "An extensive investigation was conducted where 11 total juveniles were identified as taking part in one or both incidents."

The teens face charges of aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, and mob action. Additionally, one teen has been charged with two hate crimes for allegedly using racial and derogatory slurs during the attacks.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the charges, and the teens turned themselves in last month. They are now being held at Chicago's Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.

"We are asking parents to take these incidents as an opportunity to talk with their teenage children about the seriousness of actively participating in these types of trends they see on social media," said Police Chief Michael Eterno.