A man was incarcerated after being accused of using a gun to kidnap and pistol whip a ride service driver.
On November 7, after a weeks-long investigation, police in Collinsville, Illinois, arrested a suspect that they believed was the culprit in an armed kidnapping of a Lyft driver that occurred on October 24. The person of interest was identified as a convicted felon who is currently accused of gun-related and violent crimes, in addition to having a long list of priors.
It was reported that during their investigation, they learned that the incident involved a female Lyft driver who picked up a customer in Hazelwood, Missouri. They asserted that the rider got into the vehicle, and he provided her with the address of where he wanted to be taken. When they arrived, the driver was purportedly put in a precarious situation when the man allegedly made it known that he had a gun. He reportedly changed course and demanded to be driven to a local Denny’s. He allegedly forced the woman to go inside, and when she tried to go into the bathroom to escape and call the police, he reportedly struck her with a gun before leaving the establishment.