An Uber driver found himself facing the wrath of an armed and angry pet owner when he refused to take her dog for a ride, according to investigators in Florida.
The driver escaped unharmed, but was robbed of his cellphone during the dispute, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
It happened around 8pm on Sunday, Oct 20, in the Mulberry area, about a 30-mile drive east from Tampa.
“The victim was in the process of dropping off two passengers when they asked if they could purchase a second ride to another location, and asked if their friend (the suspect) could ride with them,” the sheriff’s office said in the news release.
A 27-year-old woman then “attempted to enter the car with a dog, and the Uber driver told her he did not want her pet in his car. He asked the entire group to exit his vehicle,” officials said.
The dog owner “became irate” and refused to leave the vehicle, officials said. The argument led to the driver and woman getting out, and that’s when she “pulled a brown handgun from her bag, threatened the victim and snatched his cellphone”, officials said.
“The victim attempted to flee the scene in his car, but (she) prevented him from leaving,” officials said. “Once he was able to leave, he drove down the street and flagged down a bystander, using their phone to call 9-1-1 for help.”
A witness reports the stranded woman went to a nearby home and asked if someone could give her a ride to a relative’s house, the sheriff’s office said. “They stated that (she) appeared to be in a rush to get out of the area,” officials said.
The 9mm Sig Sauer handgun believed to have been used was found under a vehicle at the same home, officials said.
Details of how investigators identified the suspect were not revealed, but the woman was arrested Oct 21 and charged with armed robbery, grand theft and providing false information during a law enforcement investigation, Polk County jail records show. – The Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service
