Warrant: Woman accused of drugging, robbing men in downtown Austin steals thousands
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A woman with multiple active warrants was suspected of posing as a rideshare driver and drugging men near Austin’s downtown entertainment district before robbing them, according to Travis County court documents.
An arrest warrant affidavit claimed 41-year-old Destini Cionne Robinson, on at least two occasions in 2023, stole the phones and wallets of unsuspecting passengers and spent thousands of dollars.
In one incident, the affidavit said a man got into what he believed was his rideshare to go home and blacked out shortly after. The man said he arrived home with no memory of how he got there and discovered his phone, cash and credit cards were missing.
The man told police he then discovered more than $11,000 in fraudulent transactions, as well as bank transfers which were completed using the victim’s phone.
In a second incident, a man told police he believed he had been drugged and robbed early in the morning while downtown.
The man said while waiting for his rideshare to arrive, he was flagged down by the suspect. Mistakenly thinking it was his rideshare, he got into the front seat without verifying the vehicle or driver information.
According to the affidavit, the suspect offered the man a drink from an open container, which he accepted. The man said shortly after taking a drink, he blacked out and had no memory of what occurred for several hours.
Court documents said the man later discovered his phone was missing, as well as both of the credit/debit cards from his wallet. The man said he also found more than $24,000 worth of unauthorized purchases and ATM transactions.
The Austin Police Department said it used rental car and cell phone records as well as surveillance video from ATMs and stores to link Robinson to the incidents.
Robinson was charged with robbery by assault and credit card abuse, according to court documents, and as of Thursday, she had 29 active warrants for her arrest out of Travis County.
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