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4 teen suspects arrested for kidnapping, assaulting victim off Grindr dating app

Dusty Andrew Bailey Jr
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KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — The Killeen Police Department have four suspects in custody following an aggravated robbery and kidnapping investigation.

One suspect, 17-year-old Dusty Andrew Bailey Jr., is being held at the Bell County Jail on Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Robbery charges.

Police said the three other juvenile suspects—two 16-year-old males and a 15-year-old male—were transported to the county's Juvenile Detention Center.

On June 2 around 2:04 a.m., Killeen police said an officer was conducting an area check around Hallmark Avenue and Wolf Street. The officer said he saw multiple males in the middle of the street, one of them frantically waving the officer down as the other males fled.

The officer said three fled the area, and the 17-year-old was trying to enter a house before being stopped by the officer.

Authorities said the 17-year-old was pulling off a mask as he walked away from the officer.

The victim told police he was using an online dating app called Grindr when he was lured to a nearby address. Police said the victim told them he was confronted by the four suspects with shotguns and handguns, and they demanded some of his property.

Police said the victim was then struck with one of the guns and the suspects took him to his car. The victim said the suspects were going to take him somewhere, but the victim saw the patrolling officer and waved him down.

Killeen police said multiple officers responded to the area—including a K9 unit—and a drone search was used for the three suspects who fled.

Authorities said they located the three juvenile suspects in a storage shed with a handgun and a BB gun that looked like a shotgun.

The Bell County District Attorney's Office issued a complaint charging Bailey with Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Robbery. Bailey was arraigned by Judge Randy Dale, setting his bond at $300,000 for each charge—totaling $600,000.

The three juvenile suspects were also charged with Aggravated Kidnapping and Aggravated Robbery. Their names will not be released because they are juveniles.

Killeen PD said their Robbery/Homicide Unit is currently investigating similar incidents in the same area.

The department is asking anyone who knows of a similar incident to please report it to the authorities.

Police said this is an ongoing investigation and no other information will be released.