Man Accused Of Using Online Dating Site To Lure, Rob Men Pleads Not Guilty

A 20-year-old ex-con accused of posing as a woman on an Internet-based dating site to lure men to a Perris neighborhood, where he allegedly robbed them, pleaded not guilty today to felony charges.

Gary Glen House, who was arrested Monday morning in connection with a series of hold-ups in the 2800 block of Jean Marie Way, faces three counts of robbery, two counts of receiving stolen property and one count of attempted robbery, along with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The defendant appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Helios Hernandez, who scheduled a felony settlement conference in the case for Aug. 30 and set House's bail at $150,000.

He's being held at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff's officials, House was identified after he allegedly tried to rob a man at gunpoint around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.

The victim, whose identity was not released, had gone to Jean Marie Way expecting to meet a woman for a date that had been arranged via a dating site, said sheriff's Sgt. Ron Hoxmeier. He did not disclose the name of the site.

When the man arrived for the rendezvous, he was instead confronted by a gunman, who demanded his money and belongings, according to Hoxmeier. The victim fled without handing over anything.

Hoxmeier said a series of similar robberies have occurred in the area recently, but investigators were unable to gather enough evidence to make an arrest until this week.

House was taken into custody without incident at his residence in the 500 block of Granite View Drive, just around the corner from where the hold-ups occurred, authorities said.

According to court records, House has prior convictions for armed robbery, attempted robbery, drug possession and driving under the influence. --City News Service