The Story

Today it seems that online dating is the most common form of finding a new mate. So many people of all ages are using online platforms to get to know new potential partners, often for months, before ever meeting in person. This can be a great way to meet someone. You can get to know them before putting yourself at risk with a personal meeting. However, this can go wrong as well. Even if you think you know a person, tragedy can strike. A teen girl learned this the hard way when she was attacked and stabbed by a Utah teen.

Utah teen stabs 18-year-old girl he met on Tinder before attacking elderly woman

“An unhinged Utah teenager allegedly stabbed a girl he had just met on Tinder before randomly knifing an elderly woman on Thursday, officials said.

Kane Thomas Fairbank, 18, allegedly attacked the girl, also 18, after luring her into Mueller Park outside the city of Bountiful. The two had met on the dating app just days earlier, according to a release from the Davis County Sheriff’s Office.

Police said the pair, who had met in person once before, spent several hours in the park together when he suddenly “coerced her into his vehicle” around 6:30 p.m, according to a probable cause statement obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune.

Fairbank allegedly stabbed the girl several times with “a fixed blade nearly a foot in length,” according to the document.

The girl was able to fight back and track down witnesses who “helped create a barrier between Fairbank and the victim,” cops said.”

The attacker then fled the scene and attacked another woman in her early 60s. The Utah teen did not know the woman and the attack is thought to be random.

Read the full story from NY Post.

What Can We Learn?

Keep your wits about you and don’t let your guard down for a moment when you meet someone new. Even if you think the person is not a threat. If you are meeting someone in person whom you met on the internet, meet in a very public place. Please don’t get into a vehicle with the person until you have enough experience with them. Of course, they will be charming in this early encounter. Don’t take what you see as truth. The young Utah teen that attacked these women likely seemed like your typical, unthreatening teen. However, he viciously attacked two women with a 12-inch blade. Until you know a person well, be aware, be careful, be safe.