‘Grindr Predator’ arrested over alleged murder of man he contacted through dating app in Arequipa

Police arrested Arnold Brayan Chávez Gonzales, 24, in central Arequipa after investigating the alleged murder and robbery of a man he reportedly contacted through Grindr. Authorities had issued a preliminary detention order for the suspect, known by the alias “Grindr Predator.”

The case dates to July 26, 2025, when Chávez Gonzales allegedly contacted a man identified by the nickname Franklin through the dating app. Police say the two agreed to meet using the username “PAS BSC ACTV.” After they consumed alcoholic drinks, the suspect allegedly attacked the man with a blunt object to take his belongings.

The victim was abandoned in Ripacha passage in the San Lázaro sector of central Arequipa. He was found gravely injured and later died from severe traumatic brain injury and a skull-base fracture. Police said some of his personal possessions were missing when he was found.

Investigators reconstructed part of the victim’s final moments using security-camera footage. According to police, the images show the suspect with the man and later fleeing the scene. A forensic facial-identification examination reportedly produced a “positive identification” after comparing Chávez Gonzales’s physical features and scars with the footage.

After the arrest, authorities began examining whether the suspect may have used the same method to contact other people through dating applications. Police said he has other complaints and records under investigation, and they have not ruled out additional victims. Investigators must still determine whether he acted alone and what role he allegedly played in the murder and robbery.