Based on reports, a tourist in Texas shot her Uber driver because she believed he was trying to kidnap her and take her to Mexico. She then snapped a photo of the wounded driver before phoning the police.
On US 54 in El Paso last Friday, Phoebe Copas, 48, is charged with shooting Uber driver Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, in the head.
According to court records obtained by KTSM, Copas, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, requested an Uber to transport her to the Speaking Rock Casino where she intended to meet her boyfriend after he finished work.
While in the Uber, Copas saw traffic signs that read ‘Juarez, Mexico’, and wrongly thought that Piedra Garcia was trying to abduct and take her there, the documents state.
Copas then pulled a ‘silver and brown handgun from her purse’ and shot the driver, according to the documents.
The vehicle struck road barriers and came to a halt near Loop 375.
Copas did not call police or emergency responders to report that she was in danger before allegedly opening fire on Piedra Garcia, the documents say. She also allegedly took a picture of him after she shot him and texted it to her boyfriend before proceeding to call 911.
Police officers who responded to the scene said Copas’ boyfriend assisted her out of the crashed vehicle. They observed her ‘drop everything she was holding in her hands on the ground’ including the handgun’, documents state.
Investigators said they did not find evidence that Copas was being kidnapped or that Piedra Garcia went off track from her desired destination.
Copas has been charged with felony aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
Meanwhile, Piedra Garcia remained in the ICU. A family member told KTSM on Wednesday that he was taken off life support.
His wife Ana Piedra wrote in a GoFundMe page that he ‘was working for Uber when his passenger shot him in the head because she believed he was kidnapping her and taking her to Juarez, which was not the case. Daniel was simply following the route from the Uber app’.
She added that he just recovered from knee surgery and ‘was so excited to finally be able to provide some income for his family just for this tragedy to occur’.
Uber stated that it was ‘horrified by the rider’s actions’.
‘Violence is not tolerated on the Uber platform and we banned the rider as soon as we were made aware of what occurred,’ the company stated to KFOX 14. ‘Our thoughts are with Mr. Garcia and his loved ones, and have been in touch with his family.’
The GoFundMe page had garnered more than $16,000 as of Wednesday evening.