Torrington police are investigating after a man was assaulted while trying to meet up with someone he had been talking to on social media on Tuesday.
Officers were called to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital around 10 p.m. after getting a report of a 20-year-old man in the emergency room with multiple puncture and laceration wounds.
When police arrived, they said they met with the man who said he went to the intersection of North Elm Street and McGuiness Street to meet up with a girl he had been talking to on Snapchat.
When the man pulled in and began to step out of his car, he told officers he was rushed and assaulted by another man who demanded money, authorities said.
Officers said the man who demanded money is described as tall and skinny with something shiny in his mouth including possibly a grill or silver teeth.
As a result of the encounter, the man in the car sustained what police called sizable puncture wounds to his left upper chest and right upper arm, along with several small scratches. He was transported to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and was later moved to Hartford Hospital due to the type of injuries. He is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, police added.
According to investigators, this was not a random attack and the man who was injured knew the woman he was meeting through the social media application. Detectives said they believe this was a targeted attack.
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Authorities said they have identified the people involved and are continuing to investigate the attack.
Torrington Police is reminding residents to be careful when using social media.
"Individuals we meet on social media are not always the people we believe they are and their motives may be completely different than what one expects," police said in part in a statement.
Police also recommend choosing public areas that are well lit and a time of the day that allows for more people to be around your meeting space.
Anyone with information or who may have been in the area when the incident happened is asked to contact Det. Todd Fador at (860) 489-2059.
