A Kentucky woman has been charged with murder after allegedly shooting her Uber driver in the head. The incident occurred on June 16th at 2:19 p.m. on Highway 54 in El Paso, Texas.
The passenger, a 48-year-old woman, was visiting her boyfriend in the city and had arranged for an Uber ride to meet him at Speaking Rock Casino. The driver, Daniel J. Piedra Garcia, 52, picked her up in west El Paso for the short drive to the casino. The casino is located just a mile from the Mexican border.
According to a police report, the woman took a handgun from her purse and shot Piedra in the head when they were about 10 miles from the casino. She did not attempt to call 911 before the shooting, and her first call was to her boyfriend, whom she texted a photo of the wounded driver.
When police arrived at the scene, the boyfriend was already there. The woman reportedly told police she believed she was being taken into Mexico against her wishes, as she saw road signs indicating they were approaching the border.
The police report stated that there was no indication Piedra deviated from the route to the casino. The woman was initially charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, but the charge was changed to murder when Piedra died after being removed from life support on June 21st. Her bail was increased to $1.5 million.
The incident has raised concerns about safety for Uber drivers, who are often vulnerable to attacks from passengers.
The El Paso Police Department is continuing to investigate.