Auburndale police have arrested four people in connection with the murder of 27-year-old Adam Hilarie after he allegedly met one of the suspects on a dating website. His body was found inside his apartment on Sunset Avenue on Friday evening.
- Adam Hilarie, 27, found dead in his apartment Friday
- Victim was shot once, officials said
- Four people, 3 men and a woman, arrested and charged
- Victim met one of the suspects on Plenty of Fish dating website
Hailey Bustos, Andre Warner, Gary Gray, and Joshua Ellington (pictured above from left to right) have been arrested and charged with murder in the death of Adam Hilarie, Auburndale police announced Monday.
Police said Hilarie connected with 18-year-old Hailey Bustos on a dating website called Plenty of Fish. The two went out for a date on Thursday evening, and that date included a visit to Hilarie's apartment. Police said that Bustos noticed items worth stealing in the apartment.
Police said after the date Bustos met with three men to set up a robbery of Hilarie. They identified the three men as Andre Warner, Gary Gray and Joshua Ellington.
"Once she got home they talked together. They worked out the details and then they went back and committed the robbery,” said Deputy Auburndale Police Chief Andy Ray.
Deputy Auburndale Police Chief Andy Ray updates the media on the case Monday, August 22, 2016. (Rick Elmhorst, Staff)
Ray said Hilarie struggled with the suspects and then Andre Warner shot Hilarie in the head. Ray believes Bustos may have been involved in similar robberies set up with dating websites.
"I think more than anything it's just her comfort with the way this went. It didn't seem like it would have been the first time,” said Ray.
Hilarie’s brother Angel Cruz reacted with a combination of relief and disgust when he learned about the arrests of the suspects and the alleged way the murder happened.
"Seeing the pictures of these guys, in their faces, they looked like they didn't care at all,” he said.
Deputy Police Chief Ray offered a word of caution about dates with strangers found on websites.
"The person may present themselves as one thing and be something totally different,” he said.
The website Your Security Resource lists a number of red flags and smart steps to take when it comes to online dating.
The red flags include:
- Limited availability by the other party
- Offers limited or conflicting information
- Sounds too good to be true
- Talk about money
- Wants to move too quickly
The smart steps include:
- Stick with reputable sites
- Protect your personal information
- Conduct online searches
- Pay for a background check
- Follow smart tech security practices
You can read more from the Your Security Resource post by clicking here.