'I'm alive but I still am scared': Suspects choking, carjacking Uber and Lyft drivers in Detroit

3 Uber, Lyft drivers choked and carjacked in Detroit

Three Detroit rideshare drivers have been attacked in a week. One of the victims was able to fight off the suspects, but the other two had their cars stolen after they were choked from behind.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Three rideshare drivers in Detroit have been attacked in a week by a group choking and carjacking them.

"For now I'm alive, but I still am scared," said an Uber driver who was attacked. "Just when I stop my car, they choked me from behind."

The 40-year-old man picked up three men and two women near Linwood and Davison, on Friday. As he was driving, a suspect in the back seat tried to strangle him and, when the driver stopped, one of the suspects got out and pointed a gun while demanding his 2021 Toyota Venza. They drove off in his car, which was later recovered by police.

"Today it's me and the next time they'll target another driver," the victim said.

The victim thought he was going to die.

"It's my last night," he said. "You feel near your death."

Detroit Police seek a person of interest in the strangling, carjacking of at least three rideshare drivers in February.

This carjacking was the second attack. The first one happened Feb. 4 when a 30-year-old woman picked up three men and a woman near Dexter and Davison. During the drive, a suspect in the seat behind the driver put something around the woman's neck and strangled her before ordering her to stop the car.

Once she did so, the suspects then drove off in her 2018 Ford Focus, which was later recovered.

You're sticking a gun in somebody's face to take a car to drive to the west side to do God knows what and maybe sticking a gun in somebody's face over there to get back to the east side, or vice versa. It's ridiculous is what it is," said Cmdr. Eric Decker with the Detroit Police Organized Crime unit.

The third attack happened Sunday when a 58-year-old man picked up two men in his 2017 Chevy Malibu near Dexter and Davison. As in the first two carjackings, the person behind the driver tried to strangle the victim. He was able to fight off the suspects, however, and they ran off on foot.

"We have very good leads on these individuals. I expect them to be taken into custody shortly," Decker said.

Crime and Public Safety Detroit News