There’s word of an arrest after a rideshare driver says he was forced to drive from Arlington to south Florida at gunpoint. The driver is safe, but it’s a warning to other drivers to be alert. NBC 5’s Vince Sims has the details.
An Arlington rideshare driver is OK after being kidnapped and forced to drive to Florida over the weekend, where a second kidnapping was being planned.
According to a federal criminal complaint obtained by NBC 5, FBI investigators said Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez requested a ride to a gas station via a rideshare app on Aug. 16.
The driver, whose identity and gender are not known, said they picked up Pastran just before 10:30 p.m. Friday and drove him to a gas station where he pulled out a gun and chambered a round. The driver told investigators they offered Pastran whatever possessions were in the car and that the man threatened to tie them up and put them in the trunk.
Pastran, according to the document, told the driver that he had weapons in his suitcases and ordered the driver to drive him to Florida.
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The driver told federal investigators that at about 11 a.m. Saturday, while passing through Louisiana, Pastran demanded they call their children and tell them they were on a long work trip so their absence wouldn't be suspicious.
The document said that at some point on the trip, Pastran discovered the driver had an unloaded blue 9mm handgun in the car and ammunition. Pastran took the weapon and found the ammunition.
The driver told investigators they reached Florida on Saturday night. On Sunday, the driver said Pastran ordered them to drive to Miami Beach, where they watched someone described as a "potential victim." Pastran told the driver he intended to kidnap that person and hold them for a $3 million ransom. The identity of the second kidnapping target was not included in the affidavit.
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On Monday, the driver said Pastran ordered them to drive to a Dollar General store in Hialeah, Florida to purchase "supplies for kidnapping." While in the store, the driver escaped and hid in a restroom. Pastran had the driver's keys and then drove to Hollywood, Florida, where he was confronted by law enforcement.
Investigators said in the document that Pastran attempted to run from police but was detained. FBI investigators said Pastran was in possession of a bag with a loaded, blue 9mm handgun inside.
After his arrest, federal officials said Pastran waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with investigators, where he admitted to ordering the ride in Arlington, kidnapping the driver at gunpoint, and forcing them to drive to Florida.
Pastran was arrested and is facing multiple charges, including kidnapping, carjacking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime. At last check, Pastran was being held at the Broward County Jail. It's unclear if he's obtained an attorney to speak on his behalf or if a bond has been set.
RIDESHARE DRIVERS SAY THE JOB CAN BE DANGEROUS
NBC 5 spoke with rideshare drivers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Wednesday. They said they enjoyed the job, but it can sometimes be scary.
“I like making my own schedule," rideshare driver Felicia Malone said. "It can be very rewarding for people who can’t drive for whatever reason. It can be scary.”
Malone has been a rideshare driver for five years. She said after a passenger touched her and demanded he be taken somewhere other than the destination in the app, she now shares her location with family members, no longer works at night, and has recently installed a camera system in her car.
“I just get up in the morning, pray, trust in God and go,” Malone said.
Malone told NBC 5 the man who touched her had been kicked out of a bar and was put into her front seat by a police officer despite her objection and request that he be placed in the back seat. She said the man became upset during the ride, threatened her, and banged on her dashboard. After he touched her hair, shoulder, and leg, Malone said she stopped the car, jumped out, and found help. The police were called, and the man was arrested and charged with sexual assault.
Roy Ruelas, who has been a rideshare driver for 18 months, said he's also stopped driving at night after an armed passenger passed out in his back seat.
"I had to call the police to have them come out and pull them out of the car because they wouldn't wake up, and I really didn't want to go further into what could have been a bad experience," Ruelas said.
Ruelas said drivers are prohibited from carrying guns and are largely unprotected.
"You could probably carry some pepper spray with you, but pepper spray against a gun?" Ruelas said. "That's a scary situation … that could take a father, a mother, a child, someone's son or daughter away from them, it's real scary."
Drivers said rideshare companies do provide some safety measures.
“A feature where you can record while driving and if needed you can press a few buttons and have ADT contacted,” Ruelas said.
“There are emergency buttons," Malone said. "If they see you stopped for too long, they’ll say, do you need help or are you OK?”
