When police knocked on Hyltons door late that night, she said she asked them if she needed to go get Newman from the hospital. Driver's Son: "Right now, he's OK. We would like to see these billion-dollar companies come up with solutions, rather than leave it to drivers and small businesses, like myself, to keep everyone safe. All Rights Reserved. Bitch, this is a carjacking, get out, the man in the passenger seat replied. "They took everything out of my pockets: my keys, my wallet, my phone," he said. Chicago Police said there were a total of four carjackings that took place in about three and a half hours in three different police districts Tuesday night. But thats not what were seeing now, said Lenny Sanchez, an Uber and Lyft driver in Chicago and co-founder of the Illinois chapter of driver advocacy group Independent Drivers Guild. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. To him, a mandatory selfie feature for passengers would be a good start. Sheryl said shed never be a ride-hail driver again but would like to do food deliveries; she set up a PayPal Pool fundraiser to try and get help to buy a new car. Bryant Greening, an attorney and co-founder of Chicago-based LegalRideshare, said he gets calls from drivers whove been carjacked on a weekly basis. That's more than triple when compared to the same time last year. Recently Won Cases (Actual Dates and Cases) February 2023 The car they used might be a Nissan Sentra, according to a CPD report. Were not allowed to have any kind of weaponknives, brass knuckles, pepper spray, guns, baseball bats. Geico, the Crosses insurance provider, didnt respond to a request for comment. Uber said it was saddened to hear about the senseless act of violence that took the life of Mr. Schelstraete. In many ways, gig workers are the perfect target. We've received your submission. Uber says it has sent . More gig workers told him theyve started to carry weapons. 7:00 pm. Update 10:55 a.m. EDT March 31: The White House announced Thursday . what a show we have. They say, 'Don't move,'" Roth said. That would be the second highest Chicago total since 2001 and once again, roughly triple 2019's total. In February, the ABC7 I-Team uncovered a surge in rideshare carjackings and talked to drivers who were concerned over so called "phantom profiles." The Crosses car was totaled, and even though they had insurance, it didnt cover the incident because it happened during a Lyft ride. They were like, No hes gone, and we need you to go verify the body, she said. The primary suspect responded, Youre the chosen one for the day. . Relatives said the 46-year-old rideshare driver was killed after they say investigators told them he fought back when a passenger tried to carjack him on the city's West Side. CHICAGO (CBS) -- An Uber driver is speaking out after a gun was put to his head while on the job. he pulled over and ran out, and got into his friends' car who While The Markup has tracked more than 100 carjackings of ride-hail drivers over the past year and a half, including three this month in Atlanta, Cleveland, and Key West, this number is far from comprehensive. Lyft didnt comment on why passengers dont have to upload profile pictures and are allowed to use alias names and anonymous payment methods. If I cant have a firearm, she said, I guess you gonna pay for my funeral.. Mohammad Anwar, a Pakistani immigrant and Uber Eats driver was killed in Washington, D.C., in March, after two girls with an electric stun gun approached him while he was parked and then allegedly tried to carjack him. Nor have suspects been identified in Normans case. 'One of them put a gun against my head': Uber driver recounts terrifying carjacking incident. A Chicago man has been charged in federal court with carjacking and killing a ride-share driver in Lawndale earlier this year. Partly cloudy skies. The carjackers were described as three Black males who wore white face masks. We deactivated the accounts of the riders involved in these incidents the same day they were reported to us.. He has been an Uber driver for five years, and nothing like this has ever happened. Not many people would do a certain crime if they have to reveal their identity.. You do background checks on us. He had one child in New Jersey and four in Ghana, whom he was working on bringing to the U.S. When he moved here, he was just making a new beginning, said Elizabeth Hylton,his roommate and long-time friend, who created a GoFundMe for Newmans children. At the same time, the man in the back seat grabbed her by the neck and started choking her, yelling, Get your ass out of the car, according to the police report. As the woman screamed, Sanchez said the 19-year-old male suspect got out to pay at the window, then returned to Sanchez' 2020 Ford Escape. The Markup spoke with three drivers who were victims of carjackings, and with friends and family members of two additional drivers. RELATED | Lyft driver attacked, carjacked in Englewood after telling couple not to vape in his car. When you remove the ability for potential offenders to remain anonymous, that will often have a crime reduction effect, said Piza, the John Jay professor. . Police confirmed two young teenagers, aged 15 and 13, were formally charged Wednesday with crimes including felony murder after an alleged carjacking resulted in the death of 66-year-old grandfather Mohammad Anwar on March 23. By the end of 2021, the city was on pace to set a new record for carjackings by upwards of 44%. He was attacked by two passengers, one of whom put a gun to his head before the ride started and demanded he leave the car. Lyft and Uber drivers are much more vulnerable than other carjacking victims, said Eric Piza, an associate professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. At 13 and 15, the girls are obviously too young to drive legally. Javier Ramos' family said the Uber driver was killed while fighting back when a passenger tried to carjack him early Tuesday morning in North Lawndale. Before approaching La Fountain's vehicle, the three suspects exited a black SUV, possibly a Kia Soul, according to Chicago police. Thanks for contacting us. He said Ubers and Lyfts apps are set up in a way that can assist potential carjackers. Uber said in a statement, "The details reported by Mr. Roth are terrifying, and as soon as he reported the incident, we deactivated the rider. The two passengers then took off with his car, which has not been recovered. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago police are looking for a suspect after an Uber driver was shot and killed on the city's West Side. 7:01 pm. "He told me he felt shocked when they Tased him. He had picked up two men from a nearby restaurant. But she locked the door. "And I'm not on unemployment because I am tossed off of that, because of the pandemic all my other industries are down.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. every once in a while a trial comes along. Sanchez himself quit driving for Uber and Lyft during the pandemic and hasnt yet returned. But after he was carjacked in February by two men with an assault rifle who stole his 2021 silver Honda Accord, according to an incident report from the Atlanta Police Department, he said he changed his habits. Chicago is on pace for 1,960 carjackings in 2022, according to data compiled by Wirepoints, blowing through the 1,848 record set just last year. We are still in shock and disbelief," said Hortencia Ramos, the victim's cousin. Now Chicago Police. She realized it all happened so fast that she still had on her seat belt. In April, Uber announced that new accounts using a prepaid card, gift card, or Venmo would also need to upload a valid ID. Theyre the innovators.. Meanwhile, the two assailants drove south on Sawyer Avenue. After being attacked at the shuttered sports arena in Cleveland, Norman said she headed straight to the police station. We are working with law enforcement on their investigation.". RELATED: Chicago police launch carjacking website for public to report crimes, task force to get 40 more officers. Some [drivers] got in the media, some didnt. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. These companies have blood on their hands.. "I just got to do whatever they say. Despite everything, Norman said that when she talked to Bob, she told him she had no regrets about carrying the gun. "There was one night when Uber was going to be $35 and take 10 minutes to come," he said. Big Tech Is Watching You. Obviously, he's never been Tased before," the driver's son said. Campbell Matthews, a DoorDash spokesperson, told The Markup in an email, We regularly send communications on safety tips and best practices to workers and the company plans to add an emergency assistance button to its app later this year.. July 17, 2022 / 5:47 PM The alleged assailant, who admitted to being at the scene of the shooting, was apprehended by St.Louis police a couple of days later and charged with first degree murder. An Uber driver died two days after being shot in the head during a carjacking outside of Chicago. While the company still allows for alias names, Uber spokesperson Page said it no longer lets riders set up new accounts or change their names using numbers, emojis, or symbols. 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Elijah, being the person he was, he was not going to give up his car.. Two days later, when Norman looked at her Lyft app, it was overlaid with a message that said, Your account has been permanently deactivated. prosecutors charged two men with shooting people during separate carjacking attempts in November. A person who works there said the men ordered food for takeout, sat at a table, and said they were waiting for an Uber. And in cities across the country, some drivers have bought dash cams, while others say theyve started carrying weapons despite it being forbidden by the companies. I have had it two months.". Many of the drivers are elderly, immigrants, and women. The son said safety measures like passenger photo sharing before pickup, and video camera surveillance in all Ubers, should be mandatory. In nearby Columbus, a 73-year-old Lyft driver was attacked in the same way on April11. Uber and Lyft consider drivers independent contractors, so they dont have sick leave, workers compensation, or medical insurance through the companies. During the attack, he was shot in the head and face. Neither company responded to allegations that they failed to help the drivers we spoke to after they were carjacked. According to a police report from the Columbus Division of Police, The victim pleaded with the suspects asking them whywhywhy? It was like a fist to the gut.. ABC7 Eyewitness News has talked to other rideshare drivers who said they were carjacked by their own passengers. Norman said the third red flag was when the ride ended at a shuttered sports arena. By now, the driver was on the phone with 911. It all started in North Lawndale and ended in suburban Stickney Township. The companies apps make it fairly simple for people to create fake accounts with fake names and, oftentimes, use untraceable payment methods, like a gift card. There were 1,416 carjackings in Chicago in 2020. I just want to have a vehicle, she said, so we can make some money and work.. Through interviews with drivers and family members, police reports, and local news articles, The Markup found Uber and Lyft drivers from Boston to Nashville to Sioux Falls, S.D., whove been victims of carjackings or attempted carjackings. Catalog; For You; Chicago Tribune. While the companies take on little risk employing drivers who provide their own cars and insurance and accrue no benefits, in interviews drivers said they faced property loss, injury, and worse when they placed their lives in the hands of Ubers and Lyftsalgorithms. One of them put a gun against my head.". Reader support is an essential piece of The Markup equation. The study found that from 2017-2021, Chicago police have recovered less than one in five carjacked. Eleven have died as a result of the assaults, dozens more have been severely or permanently injured. More than half of those 186 arrested by Chicago police for carjacking in 2020 were younger than 18, according to a BGA analysis of . The victim was sitting inside his black 2020 Range Rover when four male suspects approached and displayed handguns. Please adhere to the following: The survey we investigated was also used in dozens of other cities and counties, according to its creators. Joe Schelstraete, 38, was working Monday evening when he received . Two people were apprehended and pleaded guilty last month to charges of armed robbery and the shooting of Tommy. The driver's son met his father at the scene to pick him up after he was attacked. You wouldnt believe how many fake names we see almost everyday, the petition reads. Fantasy Baseball 2023: Hitting sleepers at each position,Andy Behrens identifies one hitter at each position being undervalued in 2023 fantasy baseball drafts. All rights reserved, WATCH: Procession Escorts Body of Fallen Chicago Officer From Hospital, Storm System Could Bring Rain, Snow, and Gusty Winds to Chicago Area Friday, Chicago Police Officer Shot and Killed on Southwest Side, Chicago Police Release Details of What Led to Officer's Fatal Shooting in Gage Park. President Joe Biden has ordered the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day in an effort to control energy prices. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Rideshare drivers are calling for changes to popular platforms in response to a dramatic increase in carjackings. Search. Some police departments, like Chicago and Oakland, have issued warnings about carjackings of ride-hail drivers. Indiana resident Joe Schelstraete, 38, was working in Cicero, Illinois Monday evening when he. He is survived by his 9-year-old daughter, among others. He was lured in through the app, Sanchez, the Chicago driver organizer, said about Schelstraete. Kennedy FOX Business March 1, 2023 7:00pm-8:00pm EST. The incident occurred on Feb. 17 when Jack Synder, who. I have to cover my [car] loan. "You're not really sure if this ride was ordered by someone for someone else to take the ride, or if someone is just using a fake account," said Suzette Wright, rideshare driver. The girls are due back in court on April 20 to discuss the status of the case, the outlet said. In both cases, the women were reportedly beaten and the carjackers were able to make off with their cars, cellphones, and wallets. Chicago police are looking for a suspect after an Uber driver was shot and killed on the city's West Side. Ramos, who is Miss Illinois International 2021, last saw her cousin in February as they celebrated her accomplishment. Those drivers were demanding more safeguards be put in place. The Markup confirmed 124 carjackings and attempted carjackings of ride-hail drivers across the country. The pair, ages 13 and 15, have been charged with felony murder, carjacking and armed robbery in the deadly incident, which they allegedly carried out near Nationals Park in the Southeast section of the nations capital. In each incident, a group of four men dressed in all black approached Uber drivers and other motorists and demand their vehicle and personal property at gunpoint, police said. The drivers have little say in who they pick up or where they go, and theyre urged by in-app bonuses and incentives to work long days, often into the night. SEE ALSO | Lyft driver shot in chest during attempted carjacking in West Garfield Park. Those usually involve people taking advantage of ride-hail drivers who are waiting for a ride or just finishing dropping off passengers. Is this where you wanna go? Jodi Kawada Page, an Uber spokesperson, said, Whats been reported is extremely concerning weve sent safety information to drivers and couriers and are working with police on their investigations into these horrible crimes.. CHICAGO A man has been charged in federal court with carjacking and murdering a rideshare driver in Chicago earlier this year. New video shows rideshare driver carjacked in West Town, ABC7 I-Team uncovered a surge in rideshare carjackings, Lyft driver shot in chest during attempted carjacking in West Garfield Park. Were happy to make this story available to republish for free under the conditions of an AttributionNonCommercialNo Derivatives Creative Commons license. Illinois Gov. Its a really really tough situation for me. Newman is one of several ride-hail drivers killed in apparent botched carjackings over the last few months. Uber and Lyft both say they're working with police to keep drivers safe, pointing out that both platforms have technologies which can track rides and allow for drivers and riders to request real time emergency help. On the night she picked up NBA, she had a handgun stashed under the armrest of her center console. . "I'm actually like, scared at night right now because I don't even know, are they going to come to my house.
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