Online Personals Ad Leads to Kidnapping and Attempted Murder

HAYWARD, CA – Three Hayward residents have been arrested on charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery in the case of a San Jose man who was found strangled, beaten, and left for dead at a reservoir after responding to an online personals ad.

Police identified the suspects as Rodolfo Verduzco Aguilar, 28, Salim Daniel Ahmed, 32, and Lydia Marie Troche, 20, all of Hayward. The three remain in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin following last month’s attack.

The 22-year-old San Jose man, whose name has not been released, responded to an ad on the social networking Web site mocospace.com, believing he was interacting with a woman in search of a relationship, police said. The man agreed to meet the woman on March 22 at the Islander Motel at 29083 Mission Blvd. in Hayward. He arrived at around 11:30 p.m. and engaged in brief conversation with the woman before two men approached and started beating him. The woman then joined in the attack.

The three assailants then allegedly tied up the victim and used his ATM card to get cash. After being unable to withdraw as much they had expected, the suspects blindfolded the victim and drove him in his own car to Bethany Reservoir northeast of Livermore, a nearly 40-mile drive.

At the reservoir, the suspects continued to beat the man, then choked him, stripped off his clothes, and left him for dead, police said. He was found the next morning by fishermen.

Police arrested Ahmed on March 24 after he was seen driving the victim’s car. Aguilar and Troche were arrested on April 3 after a search of the Phoenix Lodge at 500 West A St., where Ahmed was living, uncovered the two other alleged assailants.

All three suspects have been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping to commit robbery, robbery, and carjacking, though Ahmed was not originally charged with either attempted murder or robbery. They are scheduled to be arraigned April 30.