The serial “Dine-and-Dash Dater,” identified as Paul Gonzales, faces 13 years in prison after wining and dining various women in California and then leaving them to foot the bill.
Gonzales, who was nabbed by officials in July, pleaded not guilty on Monday to extortion, grand theft and other charges for the incidents between May 2016 and April 2018, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
His scheme allegedly defrauded more than $950 from women he had met through dating apps and websites.
Gonzales’s modus operandi was to meet up with the women at restaurants in Pasadena, Long Beach, Burbank and Los Angeles, order extravagant drinks and meals and then sneak off without paying.
Eight women ended up having to settle the check while in two other instances, the restaurants were kind enough to foot the bill.
One anonymous woman conned by Gonzales told KCAL9 they met at BJ’s in Pasadena, where he proceeded to order a glass of pinot, a Caesar salad with a side of shrimp, a steak and a baked potato.
“He left maybe half a baked potato and then received a phone call and said ‘I need to take this call,’” she explained.
Gonsalez never came back, leaving her to worry about paying for the meals.
“The waiter came back and said ‘He’s not out there. Is this a first date? And I said: ‘Yes, this is a first blind date, and he said, ‘He’s gone,’” she said.
Another anonymous woman shared a similar experience.
“[He was] very complimentary, very chatty, seemed to have similar interests,” she told KCAL9 in a separate interview.
She thought he was obnoxious when he ordered over $100 worth of food for himself, but he explained to her that he was a bodybuilder.
After he was done with his meal, Gonzales got up to go to the bathroom, but did not return.
Gonzales faces seven counts of extortion, two counts of attempted extortion and one count of grand theft, according to the district attorney’s office.
He also is charged with two misdemeanor counts each of defrauding an innkeeper and petty theft.
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