Uber continues to implement new processes and technology to identify and prevent user fraud. Currently listed for a whopping $29,999,995, a 40% reduction from its original ask of $50 million, a French-inspired mansion in Chicago easily claims the top spot for expensive real estate in Illin The Uber driver, understandably, was very shaken up Tuesday and could not do an interview with us. 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. Some police departments, like Chicago and Oakland, have issued warnings about carjackings of ride-hail drivers. Chicago has some of the highest numbers of carjackings nationwide, along with the most known incidents of gig worker carjackings. Now, La Fountain is left with figuring out what's next and healing from the emotional trauma. Carjackings are skyrocketing in Chicago this year, with more than 750 incidents recorded through early July, and as WGN-TV reported earlier this summer, an increasing number of perpetrators are. This decision has been reviewed and will remain final. It appears she was also kicked off the rider app after getting a message there that said, Your account has been disabled.. A person who works there said the men ordered food for takeout, sat at a table, and said they were waiting for an Uber. His car was found crashed into a nearby garage with the airbags deployed. I was lucky. Dara Kerr. 7:01 pm. After being attacked at the shuttered sports arena in Cleveland, Norman said she headed straight to the police station. His son spoke to us, under the condition we conceal his identity for the interview. Sign up to get the Hello World newsletter in your inbox everySaturday. Lori Lightfoot, who defied expectations four years ago to win the Chicago mayoral race as a political outsider, finds herself once again the underdog as she . He has been an Uber driver for five years, and nothing like this has ever happened. "Under certain circumstances, the sentence for a class 1 vehincular hijacking or carjacking, can be extended to 15 to 30 years in prison." Protect Yourself 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. You do background checks on us. Despite her quick reaction that night, the incident rattled her. Big Tech Is Watching You. Sanchez said the Independent Drivers Guild regularly canvasses gig workers at OHare airport and encounters about a dozen drivers per week who say theyve experienced a carjacking or attempted carjacking. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Texas carjacking suspect pulled gun on mother in front of her children, led police on chase, Teen boys charged in carjacking murder of honor student, Family begs third suspect to confess after carjacking puts man in coma, Video captures critically injured man thrown from SUV by 15-year-old carjackers. The Markup confirmed 124 carjackings and attempted carjackings of ride-hail drivers across the country. The number would represent an over sixfold. The video featured is from a previous report. Police said the girls, 13 and 15, attacked the man with a Taser, then tried to steal his car. Geico, the Crosses insurance provider, didnt respond to a request for comment. "He told me he felt shocked when they Tased him. Its sad it had to happen," he said. As CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reported, the son of one of the drivers said this was not the first time his father was attacked while working. Dozens of incidents that dont involve Ubers or Lyfts algorithm have also happened over the last year. When police arrived at the scene of the incident on April15, Newman was already dead in the drivers seat of his car with a gunshot wound to his torso, according to charging documents from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. 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. A. By now, the driver was on the phone with 911. With mounting fear in the gig worker community, some drivers have devised their own workarounds to try and stay safe. Newman is one of several ride-hail drivers killed in apparent botched carjackings over the last few months. Then, late Thursday, a 35-year-old man was shot by an unknown suspect during an attempted carjacking in Gold Coast. 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. Sanchez said he's in talks with Lyft and his own insurance company to get his wheels replaced. A dive into the data reveals the hotspots for the crimes, and concerns about "phantom rideshare profiles" which may add to the risk. Not all carjackings are covered by the local news, and most police departments dont compile stats on carjackings that happen specifically to ride-hail drivers. So yeah, we're seeing an uptick.". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This year - at the current run rate based on public CPD data through October 26 - is set to end with 1,807 carjackings. 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. Bryant Greening, an attorney and co-founder of Chicago-based LegalRideshare, said he gets calls from drivers whove been carjacked on a weekly basis. In nearby Columbus, a 73-year-old Lyft driver was attacked in the same way on April11. He filed a police report and believes the shooters were trying to carjack him. Uber and Lyft consider drivers independent contractors, so they dont have sick leave, workers compensation, or medical insurance through the companies. Sanchez himself quit driving for Uber and Lyft during the pandemic and hasnt yet returned. The offender then fired a shot, striking the victim in the neck before fleeing in a waiting Honda SUV, police said. The Pakistani immigrant, who lived in nearby Virginia, suffered a head injury and later died, police said. July 17, 2022 / 5:47 PM The Markup spoke with three drivers who were victims of carjackings, and with friends and family members of two additional drivers. The driver's son met his father at the scene to pick him up after he was attacked. Catalog; For You; Chicago Tribune. 'One of them put a gun against my head': Uber driver recounts terrifying carjacking incident. Advocates say Uber and Lyft could also put those warnings in the apps. Lyft driver Elijah Newman had just moved to St. Louis when he was attacked in an attempted carjacking in April. All Rights Reserved. We've received your submission. And as soon as I did that, he got into the driver seat because the door was open already and he took control the car and sped off with it.". August 31, 2021 / 6:19 PM / CBS Chicago. The two teen girls accused of killing an Uber driver in a botched carjacking in Washington, DC, in March are expected to reach a plea deal with prosecutors in the case. His right arm is permanently paralyzed. He cant even tie his shoes, Sheryl said, verging on tears. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. ABC7 Eyewitness News has talked to other rideshare drivers who said they were carjacked by their own passengers. She had a license for the gun, according to the police report on the incident. The girls are due back in court on April 20 to discuss the status of the case, the outlet said. The alleged assailant had used a fake name to hail the ride, according to the statement. Drivers say the companies are doing little tohelp He had picked up two men from a nearby restaurant. Please adhere to the following: The survey we investigated was also used in dozens of other cities and counties, according to its creators. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two rideshare drivers were recovering Tuesday after being attacked with stun guns by their passengers. Thanks for contacting us. He had just delivered, was walking to his car, and two males appeared," the driver's son said. Overall carjackings in the city and suburbs have skyrocketed during the pandemic, with 218 in January alone in Chicago. Roth said since the sheriff's office still has his car, he is hopeful they will find some evidence that will link it to the carjackers. And Lyft has a lot of holes in the system.. Other incidents involve Uber Eats or DoorDash delivery drivers dropping off food, only to find their car gone when they return. Two boys in Michigan are facing felony murder charges after fatally shooting a 17-year-old honor roll student during a failed carjacking. J.B. Pritzker has signed a collection of bills aimed to combat carjackings and vehicle thefts. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reddit threads are filled with drivers swapping stories about alias rider names like The man, dark vader, and KINK86. A Chicago ride-hail driver started a petition calling on Uber and Lyft to ban fake names because of safety issues; it now has more than 1,800 signatures. Overall, carjackings have seen a sharp increase when compared to last year, although recent numbers from Chicago police show that they've decreased by 33% from February to March. The stolen vehicles are then used to commit more robberies on the street, officials said. It was thanks to you. It all started in North Lawndale and ended in suburban Stickney Township. In both cases, the women were reportedly beaten and the carjackers were able to make off with their cars, cellphones, and wallets. They shouldnt be able to put Pleasure P, they should put their government name, plain and simple, Norman said. I just want to have a vehicle, she said, so we can make some money and work.. Their cars ended up crashed, in chop-shops, or used in other crimes. "People are getting shot, people are dying. Authorities say they were involved in several armed robberies -- including nine in Chicago, as Roth said he was told. For comparison, other metro areas with a high number of gig worker carjackings that weve been able to confirm are Atlanta with nine and Cleveland with 12. 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. And he even came across one driver wearing a bulletproof vestits the only way he feels safe working now, the driver told Sanchez. Starting Friday, Uber said it is strengthening its verification process to validate the identity of riders using the app. He had separate insurance through Lyft, but it wouldnt cover anything but the loss of his car, and with that he was still on the hook for a $2,500 deductible. "I'm scared because we don't know who this passenger is," said Brandon Franklin, a rideshare driver who signed the petition. 1 ranking for business relocations, expansion. The incident occurred on Feb. 17 when Jack Synder, who. He was convicted of fatally stabbing a woman during a carjacking at a mall in Tallahassee in . President Joe Biden has ordered the release of up to 1 million barrels of oil per day in an effort to control energy prices. "There was one night when Uber was going to be $35 and take 10 minutes to come," he said. Five days after the ordeal, 19 News reported a female Uber driver in Cleveland was attacked in a nearly identical incident that had the same red flags Norman noted. 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. Roth said with the suspects still on the loose and having access to his phone, he hasn't gotten much sleep. "This is my only form of employment right now, its how I make my money.". Three of the carjackings happened within a few miles of each other on the West and Near Northwest sides there was a third in the 2600 block of North Mozart Street in Logan Square. When those untraceable payment methods are linked to accounts with fake names and email addresses, it makes it easy for passengers to be completely anonymous. 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. Lyft didnt respond to requests for comment on Tommys carjacking and the companys lack of assistance after the attack. "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. According to a police report from the Columbus Division of Police, The victim pleaded with the suspects asking them whywhywhy? Low 46F. Experts say everyone should be suspicious of criminals who may tap your bumper intentionally, trying to get drivers to stop. ", "Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and we are working with law enforcement to help keep drivers safe. "And while they are making the transaction I had to remind them, 'Look, the sign's right here: no snacking,'" Sanchez said. every once in a while a trial comes along. I have to cover my [car] loan. But recently, prices have soared for the services. Ramos, who is Miss Illinois International 2021, last saw her cousin in February as they celebrated her accomplishment. PROVIDENCE - A federal judge on Wednesday agreed to release a former Almighty Latin King Nation gang member convicted in a deadly carjacking almost three decades ago based on his youth at the . The hoodlum shot Schelstraete even after he coughed up his money and phone, according to CBS 2. Suppose you accept this rider request and [the] name is meow meow or daddy or number 8. . No one has been charged in his carjacking. A probable cause statement obtained by The Markup said a Lyft light was affixed to the front dash and a bullet casing was next to Newmans body. You have just drawn the line in the sand. That was the last contact she had with anyone from the company, she said. Nor have suspects been identified in Normans case. Tommy spent more than a week in the hospital and underwent six surgeries, including the reconstruction of his right shoulder and side of his face. 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. Were not allowed to have any kind of weaponknives, brass knuckles, pepper spray, guns, baseball bats. 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