A man known for ditching big restaurant bills while on dates with women has been apprehended and charged. The man, known as the "Dine-and-Dash Dater," now identified as 45-year-old Paul Guadalupe Gonzales, faces seven counts of extortion, two counts of attempted extortion and one count of grand theft, all of which are felonies, according to The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. He also faces two misdemeanor counts each of defrauding an innkeeper and petty theft. It makes for a maximum penalty of 13 years in state prison. His bail has been set at $315,000. He has pleaded not guilty.
Gonzales is said to have gone on dates with various women in Pasadena, Long Beach, Burbank and Los Angeles, ordering food and drinks and then disappearing without paying. He is said to have met most of the women on dating apps and websites. Eight women who fell victim to the scam paid the bills themselves, while in two cases the restaurants paid for the meal. The businesses are named as victims in the criminal complaint alongside the women. Gonzales is said to have defrauded the women for over $950.00.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 7th in Department J of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Branch.