Overview

• Police say the victim was lured via a chat portal to meet a purported 17-year-old at a wooded spot on Am Freibad in Bremen-Blumenthal around 11 p.m. Saturday.
• Three masked men ambushed him, beat him with batons, robbed his wallet and car keys, taped him to a trash bin, and fled in his gray BMW.
• The 21-year-old freed himself with help from witnesses, alerted authorities, and was admitted to a hospital with a rib fracture and multiple hematomas.
• Investigators describe the assailants as male, two wearing dark masks and one a white mask, with one attacker noted as blond, and they are searching for the stolen vehicle.
• The Kriminalpolizei request tips to the Kriminaldauerdienst at 0421 362-3888, and they advise arranging first-time online meetings in public places and informing a trusted person of plans.