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Paul Guadalupe Gonzales, 45, is charged with 11 counts of extortion and two charges of attempted extortion for attracting women to good restaurants, ordering food and removing his victims with the bill.
The Office of the Public Defender did not return any calls for comment.
"It was humiliating," said an alleged victim, who asked CNN, during an exclusive phone interview, to identify her only with Jane's pseudonym. "I was frustrated, it left me in a bad place."
Jane said that she had written a check for $ 218 at the Houston restaurant in Pasadena after Gonzales had left the bill.
She recalled how they met on the Bumble dating site.
"We just talked back and forth, he was charming," Jane continued. He said, "Why not meet somewhere? "
Jane said that Gonzales had ordered drinks and the most expensive item from the Houston menu. The Houston website quotes its first article as steak for $ 48.
Jane said that Gonzales told him when he sat for the first time for dinner that he should make a phone call later to check on his aunt, who was hospitalized.
After the meal, Gonzales made her call and disappeared, she recalls.
"He left after most of his food was gone," she said. "I've never seen anyone eat so fast."
She did not think someone would leave her.
"It never came to my mind," Jane said. "What's it really enjoying? It's all you want, is it a free meal?"
"A lot of scammers out there"
Gonzales is accused of having repeated his alleged crimes of diner and dash throughout the Los Angeles area from Pasadena to Burbank to Long Beach.
Carol Meredith was left with the bill at Mercado in Pasadena, but the managers took her note.
Meredith also met Gonzales on Bumble.
"I've had friends who have had a lot of success with online dating, I've had some pretty bad experiences," Meredith told CNN.
"I think online dating may not be for me – I mean, there are a lot of scammers."
Psychologist Lisa Strohman, who specializes in treating patients with social media and technology issues, said the Internet allowed predators to come out with a wide net.
The explosion of dating sites "puts saturation", says Strohman. "Predators can now use technology to manipulate, groom, attract and get people to where they want them without any risk for themselves."
The alleged victims with whom we spoke in the Gonzales case said that Romeo Online had said the right things, especially about the importance of the family.
"I'm walking to dine with my mother," read a text from Gonzales on Meredith's phone.
"I think any man who loves his mother will probably love me the right way," Meredith said.
Dye and dash
Prosecutors said the insanity was from May 2016 to April.
"In short, the offending behavior of the accused has prompted innocent third parties to pay for his meal, using the implied threat of public humiliation or being considered an accomplice," says a criminal complaint.
But Gonzales is not only accused of heart-related crimes at all serial dinners and rushing. He is also an alleged "dye and dasher".
The Burbank authorities and two hair salons told CNN that Gonzales had his hair colored and jumped on the bills – in one case, he was still wearing a towel around his neck.
Los Angeles County authorities are also accusing Gonzales, who is currently in jail, of small thefts for another alleged dye and race incident.
The suspect is expected to be in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, the prosecutor said. His bond was set at $ 315,000.
Meredith is waiting to testify of her ordeal with the courtship display which started with a forehand and took a left turn during the date.
"You just have to be careful," Meredith said. "You can not judge a book by its cover."
When he is convicted, Gonzales incurs a maximum sentence of 16 years and 10 months in county jails, according to authorities.
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