MIDLOTHIAN, Va. (WRIC) — Chesterfield County Police are searching for a man who abducted and robbed an Uber driver on Sunday, Oct. 25. No one was injured during the incident.
Police said the female driver picked up the man at the Walmart at 900 Walmart Way at about 7:45 p.m. Sunday. During the trip, the man asked the driver to stop at the Union Bank branch at 13700 Midlothian Turnpike. Upon arrival at the bank, the man displayed a firearm and forced the driver into the vehicle’s trunk.
The suspect then drove the vehicle, a silver-blue 2012 Hyundai Accent hatchback, away from the bank. While driving, the suspect demanded money from the victim and stopped at multiple locations. At one stop, the suspect used the victim’s debit card at the Village Bank branch at 1120 Huguenot Road. The suspect then drove the victim to Rockwood Park and fled with the victim’s purse and cell phones. The victim then drove to another location and called police.
As the ride-sharing service becomes more popular, other local drivers were rattled by the news.
“I just would’ve never thought something like that would’ve happened because it’s a cashless business,” said driver Stephen Samuel.
Before riding with Uber, riders are required to create an account with their personal and payment information—and rides can only be requested through the app, so there is a detailed record of every rider and every trip. A spokesperson for Uber told 8News the company is providing the information requested by police.
The suspect is described as a black male, about 20-30 years old and 6 feet tall with an average build. He had short, dark-colored hair and eyeglasses. He was wearing dark-colored work clothes with an emblem, possibly a name tag or company logo, on the shirt.
Anyone with information should contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 804-748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660 or www.crimesolvers.net.
Stay with 8News for more on this developing story.
