Seminole County

Seminole High School student facing attempted homicide charges for luring man from dating app to home, police say

SANFORD, Fla. — An 18-year-old Seminole High School student is facing attempted homicide and robbery charges after a man she lured a man she met on Plenty of Fish to a home, where he was shot, police said.

Jakila Taylor lured a 31-year-old man to a home on 10th Street in Sanford, where two men began to hit the victim on his head with a firearm and demanded that the victim “give it up,” according to police.

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At some point, the victim was able to break free and began running. One of the men fired the gun and the victim was struck in his head, police said. He made it to a nearby home, where a frightened homeowner called 911.

The man told police he met Taylor on the Plenty of Fish dating app, and that they had started texting before deciding to meet up.

Taylor was identified by police through her Plenty of Fish profile. The two men are still at large.

Police are warning people to be cautious when meeting people from apps, and they should always meet in a safe place.

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“Like any app online, exchanging and meeting somebody that you don’t have any background information on them: Do your best to vet it out, maybe try to confirm information that they give," Sanford police spokeswoman Bianca Gillett said.

Jeff Levkulich

Jeff Levkulich, WFTV.com

Jeff Levkulich joined the Eyewitness News team as a reporter in June 2015.