Massachusetts woman becomes getaway driver after man she met on dating app robs bank on 1st date from hell
NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS: A 40-year-old woman went on her first date with a man she met through a dating app and unwillingly ended up being his getaway driver after she discovered he was meeting her after having robbed a bank.
The details of the bizarre date from hell were released by the Bristol County DA on Tuesday, February 11. Shelby Sampson, from Attleboro Falls, told police she first came across Christopher Castillo, 33, on an online dating app. The pair decided to meet for the first time on December 5, 2016, the day of the crime.
The date began in a pretty normal manner. Sampson picked Castillo up in her Nissan Altima from his parents' home in Rhode Island, after which they traveled to North Attleboro. All the while, Castillo continued to drink wine, the Sun Chronicle reported.
He then told her to stop at the Bristol County Savings Bank on Commonwealth Avenue. He left the vehicle for a few minutes and when he returned, he was sweating and carrying a hat with him. Later, the police also recovered a gun, cash, and a pair of sunglasses that he was possessing at the time.
She told the authorities that Castillo told her to "f*****g go" after which she sped away from the location. However, after she saw a police car trailing them, she exited the car. When the police tried to pull Castillo out of the car, he reportedly spat on their faces. Eventually, he confessed the firearm he was carrying was not loaded.
According to the DA's office, Castillo went to the bank and told the teller to give him $1,000 because he was "really hurting" and needed the money. He also threatened him with the gun at the time.
Castillo ended up being convicted for armed robbery and was sentenced to three years in prison followed by another two years in jail for assaulting three police officers. Sampson, on the other hand, was initially charged as an accessory for assisting Castillo, but the charges against her were eventually dropped.