Texas: Two Teens Accused of Using Dating Apps to Lure Victims Into Violent Robberies

A teenage couple is accused of using dating apps to lure young men into ambushes, with one victim shot four times.

On a dating app, a swipe usually starts with a promise — a photo, a few words, a conversation that builds. For several young men near San Antonio, Texas, that conversation ended up leading them straight into an ambush.

Investigators say 17-year-old Alyssa Canul and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Joseph Anthony Aguilar, used the same playbook more than once: make contact online, set up a meeting, then flip suddenly into violence once the victim showed up. This wasn't a one-off incident — it was a repeated scheme.

One victim, just 15 years old, was shot four times during one of these meetings. Another was pistol-whipped. Two separate incidents, but the same method underneath — and it's that pattern that eventually put investigators on the couple's trail.

The arrest came during a tense SWAT operation that took down Joseph Anthony Aguilar. His girlfriend was also taken into custody. Both now face multiple serious charges, including aggravated robbery.

What makes this kind of case so hard for a potential victim to see coming is that they're looking for nothing more than a genuine connection at the moment they respond to the message. That very expectation is exactly what gets turned against them.