Uber driver killed when woman mistakenly thought she was being kidnapped, Texas cops say

Mike Stunson
·2 min read
6

An Uber driver died days after a passenger was accused of shooting him, believing she was being kidnapped, Texas cops say.

Phoebe Copas, 48, is now charged with murder following the June 16 shooting, the El Paso Police Department said in a June 22 news release. She is being held in the El Paso jail on a $1.5 million bond.

Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support Wednesday, his niece said in a Facebook post.

Police said Copas, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was visiting her boyfriend in El Paso and took an Uber to meet him at a casino after he got off work, according to KFOX.

When Copas saw signs during the drive for Juarez, Mexico, she believed Piedra was kidnapping her, KTSM reported.

“At some point during the drive, Copas thought she was being taken into Mexico and shot Piedra,” police said. “The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination.”

Police said Piedra was shot “in the back of the head and wrist” while driving on U.S. 54, KVIA reported.

Copas did not tell law enforcement she feared for her safety before shooting Piedra, according to KTSM. She took a photo of the wounded Uber driver and sent it to her boyfriend before calling 911, the TV station reported.

“They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff that’s not necessarily true and when they come here they come without really knowing,” Didi Lopez, the Uber driver’s niece, told CBS4.

Piedra was the sole provider for his family, according to a GoFundMe post. He recently returned to work after undergoing knee surgery.

“He was very happy to finally be able to work and bring home income for this tragedy to happen,” according to the GoFundMe.

A vigil for Piedra will be held Friday at Memorial Park in El Paso.

In a statement to CBS4, Uber said it was “horrified by this rider’s actions” and banned Copas from its platform.

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