Amelia Jones
A Colombian woman has been accused of murder after her American Tinder date died after meeting her in the city of Medellin.
Paul Nguyen, a California-based logistics consultant, decided to visit the popular tourist spot for its vibrant nightlife and a reputation for being friendly to 'digital nomad' workers.
The 27-year-old murder victim travelled there in November with a friend with the intention of sightseeing, experiencing the nightlife, and going to a Bad Bunny concert later that week.
While he there, he matched with a woman on Tinder and agreed to meet her at a bar in the bougie neighbourhood of El Poblado.
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Nguyen shot a candid photo of his date when she wasn't looking. The young, slim, brown-haired woman was wearing a white jacket and dark jeans.
He shared it with friends on Snapchat, writing 'the language barrier is unreal.'
Tragically this was the last time they heard from Nguyen and the next morning his body was found next to a dumpster in another neighbourhood just over five miles away on November 10.
His wallet and phone had been stolen and it was believed that he was the victim of a botched drugging during a wave of Tinder honeytrap robberies in Colombia.
Colombian police announced the arrest of the woman Evelyn Henao Herrera, 21, on Tuesday (April 4).
Herrera and another man, César Augusto Mendoza López, 28, were charged with aggravated homicide, qualified and aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime for the purpose of robbery.
A second man, Bryan Taborda Herrera, 25, was charged with qualified and aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime for the purpose of robbery.
Scams involving dating apps are common in Latin America and focus on foreigners and wealthy locals, luring the men to meet women via dating apps, and then drugging them for days at a time as their bank accounts are emptied.
“We mourn every day and continue to do so until justice is met,” Paul Nguyen’s sister Amy told Vice.
“Hearing that we might finally get justice for Paul flickers a new hope."
Nguyen's friend was concerned and contacted his family when he failed to return to their Airbnb and they noticed that his credit card recorded several odd late-night transactions.
It's believed that Nguyen was drugged with a sedative called clonazepam at some point during his date.
“Sometimes the victim does not lose consciousness, does not lose will, begins to become aware of what is happening, so they go on to administer much more drugs,” explained Jorge Wilson, a local private investigator who has been investigating the American's death.
At least 41 people have been victims of similar drug-related robberies in Medellin in 2023, according to Colombian news outlet Caracol Noticias, although it's unclear how many were related to dating apps.
Tinder said in a statement to Vice: “Tinder prioritizes the safety of our members.
"What’s been reported is terrible, and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims, as well as with the survivors.
"Tinder stands ready to cooperate with local law enforcement to support their investigations."