A woman who was robbed at gunpoint in the US was forced by the skelm to friend him on Facebook.
With a gun pointed at her chest, Amber Beraun was marched to her car to fetch up to $100 (roughly R1 800) in tips she had made earlier delivering pizzas around Indianapolis.
But then the stranger made an odd demand – add him on Facebook.
Still being held at gunpoint, Beraun typed the man’s name into her Facebook app and, after he directed her to the correct profile, tapped “Add Friend”.
He fled on his bicycle but within hours he accepted the friend request and messaged her to apologise, saying she was too pretty to rob and promised to pay her back.
Then, he invited her to “come chill” with him, according to screenshots Beraun shared with The Washington Post.
Instead, a baffled Beraun contacted police, who spent the next six weeks investigating.
Last week, Damien Boyce, a 31-year-old Indianapolis resident, was charged with armed robbery and illegally carrying a handgun.
Boyce, who is in custody awaiting trial, faces up to 17 years behind bars if convicted of both charges. His next court hearing is scheduled for July 5.
Defence attorney Kailey Ruggiero said Boyce is “presumed innocent and his defence team looks forward to holding the State of Indiana to their burden of proof at trial”.
Speaking to The Post, Beraun said around 4am on May 8, she arrived home when the strange man robbed her.
The man told her that he had planned to break into her house, but because she had unexpectedly shown up, he demanded she hand over her keys, she said.
He also asked if she had a berk and if he treated her right before making the odd Facebook request.
A fearful Beraun fled to her boyfriend’s place and at his urging called police about 16 hours after the robbery.