{"id":3203,"date":"2026-06-01T16:31:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2026-06-01T16:31:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T16:31:16","slug":"texas-teen-couple-used-dating-apps-to-lure-young-men-into-violent-ambushes-police-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3203","title":{"rendered":"Texas teen couple used dating apps to lure young men into violent ambushes, police say"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

17-year-old Alyssa Canul, 17-year-old Joseph Aguilar (Source: City of Universal City)<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Texas Pride events 2026: Parades, festivals and more happening this June<\/a><\/p> <\/div><\/div> <\/div>

UNIVERSAL CITY, Texas<\/strong> – <\/span>Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a series of violent online dating traps that led to armed robberies, a pistol-whipping, and the near-fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, police said.<\/p>

Teens arrested in dating app traps<\/strong><\/h2>

What we know:<\/p>

<\/div>

Alyssa Canul, 17, was arrested on May 29 and faces two counts of aggravated robbery and a potential charge of tampering with physical evidence. Her arrest follows a multi-agency SWAT operation on May 26 that captured her boyfriend and alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Joseph Anthony Aguilar.<\/p>

Authorities said the teenage couple recently moved to Universal City, living at the Villa Mesa apartments, and used online dating platforms to lure young men to designated locations before ambushing them.<\/p>

The backstory:<\/p>

According to investigators, the crime spree involved at least two separate violent incidents. In the first case, a victim was robbed and pistol-whipped. In the second, a 15-year-old boy was lured to a meeting location, robbed, and shot four times. Authorities confirmed the juvenile survived but required extensive hospitalization.<\/p>

Aguilar was arrested during the May 26 SWAT raid, which involved the Universal City Police Department and several neighboring law enforcement agencies. Canul had remained at large until later that week.<\/p>

Read more One southern city you\u2019ve never heard of is growing faster than anywhere else in America<\/a><\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

Universal City Police Chief Johnny Siemens noted that despite Aguilar\u2019s age, he already carries an extensive criminal history.<\/p>

“When something like this happens, there is always concern in the community,” Siemens said following the initial raid. “In this case, all officers involved moved quickly.”<\/p>

Aguilar faces multiple felony charges. It was not immediately clear if either Aguilar or Canul had retained legal representation.<\/p>

In the wake of the arrests, local law enforcement and online safety advocates are urging parents to remain vigilant and report any suspected grooming or predatory internet behavior to authorities.<\/p>

Read more Man shot, killed in Houston\u2019s East End hour after being detained in trespassing incident<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with a series of violent online dating traps that led to armed robberies, a pistol-whipping, and the near-fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy, police said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,8,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime-and-public-safety","category-news","category-texas"],"yoast_head":"\nTexas teen couple used dating apps to lure young men into violent ambushes, police say - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=3203\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Texas teen couple used dating apps to lure young men into violent ambushes, police say - 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