Chef accuses ex-boyfriend of stealing cars, money
An aspiring Dutchtown restauranteur claims a romantic fling with a man on a dating app turned into a rendezvous with a thief.
By Nathan Vickers
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ST. LOUIS (KMOV) — An aspiring Dutchtown restauranteur claims a romantic fling with a man on a dating app turned into a rendezvous with a thief.
Darun Khanchalee owns Thai Pavilion, a takeout restaurant and ghost kitchen in Mt. Pleasant. He said he met a man on Grindr last fall and, after a few dates, offered the man part-time work at the restaurant.
He said the man claimed to need financial help.
“If you know a good person, you have good friends,” Khanchalee said. “Why would you say no?”
But earlier this year, Khanchalee started noticing money disappearing from the restaurant and said the man appeared to be abusing drugs and alcohol.
Then, in March, the man suddenly drove off in Khanchalee’s truck.
First Alert 4 is not identifying the man because St. Louis police have not named him as a suspect, and he does not face charges.
Khanchalee says when he confronted the man about it he claimed he would pay him back. But then the man stopped responding to messages and blocked Khanchalee on social media.
A few days later, Khanchalee’s other car went missing, too. Then, charges for CashApp started appearing on his credit card statement. Khanchalee’s phone, as well as a large amount of cash, had been in the vehicle.
“I believe it’s his plan. He’s going to take everything and leave,” Khanchalee said.
First Alert 4 tried to reach the man on social media and a phone number listed in a public database, but received no response. St. Louis Police confirmed that Khanchalee had filed a report. A CaseNet search also revealed that the man had served time in jail for a burglary conviction.
Khanchalee had contacted the media concerned that the man may be using the platform to prey on victims.
“He’s still on the app to see new people,” Khanchalee said. “I’m pretty sure if he’s doing this to someone else, they’re going to do it again, for real.”
The Better Business Bureau warns consumers to use caution on dating apps, and to avoid giving large sums of money to romantic partners.
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