By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — A 28-year-old Mooresville man was robbed Monday after he arranged a meeting with a woman he met through an online dating service.

Rowan County authorities say that instead of a woman named Vanna, the man was met by three people who took his wallet and other belongings.

The man said he met a woman through the Plenty of Fish dating site and planned to meet her at 9:40 p.m. at 1165 Richard Road. When he arrived at the home, there were no lights on and there was a for-sale sign in the front yard. He backed his BMW sedan in the driveway and sent a text message to “Vanna.”

He received a reply saying she was in the shower and would be out shortly. He sent Vanna another message saying he was leaving because he had been waiting for several minutes and he “thought things were sketchy,” a report said.

Before the man left, a woman approached him and asked if he was there to meet “Vanna.”

She led him behind the house where two men came up behind him. One of them pointed a gun to the back of the man’s head.

He told Rowan County sheriff’s deputies that the woman was white, between 21 and 22 years old with long brown hair, slender and about 5 feet 2 inches tall. He said he saw two black men, both described as 6 feet tall and 21 to 22 years old.

The victim said one of the men was wearing all black and the other had a shirt over his face and was wearing a black shirt and blue denim jeans. The man with the gun went through the victim’s pockets. The victim was wearing a black T-shirt and basketball shorts.

One of the robbers took the victim’s watch, which was valued at about $100. The other man and the woman went through the victim’s car, stole his wallet that he said had no cash inside, his Nike Huarache shoes that sell for $110 to $120, and a Samsung Galaxy 7 Edge cellphone.

The robbers took the victim’s car keys and told he he would find them in the roadway nearby. All three of them ran into nearby woods.

The victim walked to a nearby home and asked the owner to call 911. The homeowner said he had not seen anything suspicious.

The victim found his car keys in the road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8700 or Salisbury-Rowan CrimeStoppers at 866-639-5245. Tips can also be made online at http://tips.salisburyrowancrimestoppers.org/.