Woman driven into water by man she met on dating app, police say

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A woman who was sent to the hospital over the weekend after being driven into the Seekonk River, met the driver of the car on a dating app, according to documents obtained by ABC 6 News.

Providence police said they found the woman, whose name was not immediately released, crying and wet at the Gano Street boat launch just before 6 a.m. Sunday.

She told investigators that she was on a date at the boat launch with a man she’d met three months ago on the dating app, “Plenty of Fish.”

The police report read that the man became angry with the woman and drove the red Toyota Camry into the water. The woman got out of the passenger side door, swam out of the water, and took off down East Transit Street, where she ran into a nearby resident.

Police said that the woman wasn’t sure if the man got out of the car because she had taken off to get help.

Officers at the scene weren’t able to find the man, who she described as being 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 182 pounds.

The man is Black with a beard and short hair, according to the woman. He was last seen wearing a black hoodie, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers.

A nearby auto shop was able to capture the man running down East Transit Street on its surveillance cameras. Minutes later, he could be seen on video walking through the bike path towards India Street.

Investigators found footprints caused by someone who was wet, read the report.

The woman was taken to Rhode Island Hospital and did not seem to have serious injuries.

No further information was immediately released.