DETROIT – A federal case playing out in Detroit is exposing the dangers Uber and Lyft drivers face when picking up strangers.
Ride-share services have changed the way people get around and have been a great source of income for people willing to drive them to their destinations. But the Local 4 Defenders exposed a terrifying crime against Uber and Lyft drivers.
Daryl Larkin, 24, and DeAndre Currie-Lamar, 21, are looking at more than 50 years in prison if convicted of kidnapping and carjacking. They are accused of terrifying Uber and Lyft drivers by getting into cars as customers and pulling a gun and knife, and announcing a kidnapping.
Larkin and Currie-Lamar are accused of telling drivers they will be killed if ransom money isn't paid.
"They are targeting people who they don't know, demanding certain things of them, and then while they are waiting for their demands to be met, they are terrorizing, intimidating and threatening these people," Local 4 legal expert Neil Rockind said. "Each of these poor drivers had no idea if they were going to live or die."
According to federal records, the first victim was a Lyft driver. A request for a ride came in around 8 p.m. on Fielding Street in Detroit. When the driver got close, he was waved down by Larkin and Currie-Lamar, police said.
Seconds later, the passengers put a knife to the driver's side and a gun to his head, police said. When the $5 in his pocket wasn't enough, they demanded he call his wife for more money, but she didn't answer the phone, officials said.
The Lyft driver made a run for it at a red light and the men took off with the car, according to the lawsuit.
Metro Detroit residents were shocked by the brazen behavior.
"That's a shame, man," Detroit resident Eugene Bradford said. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's just a disgrace to the community."
The second victim was an Uber driver who went to the intersection of Schaefer Highway and Schoolcraft Avenue at 3:40 a.m.
Court records show a gun was pulled out and put in the driver's mouth. He was ordered to call a friend to bring $1,500 or be killed, according to authorities.
The Uber driver grabbed the gun and tried to shoot his kidnappers, but it didn't fire. He escaped, but his car was stolen, officials said.
"To go to that type of length, to kidnap someone, that's ridiculous," Southfield resident Curtis Cannon said.
Another Lyft driver had a gun put to his head at 4:20 a.m. at 7 Mile Road and the Lodge Freeway, officials said. The kidnappers demanded the driver call his brother and bring $1,300 or be killed, but the driver escaped into a gas station, according to court records.
The men are accused of taking off the with Lyft driver's car.
"It's a pretty rotten society we live in right now," Ferndale resident Jamilya said. "Morals have been put to the wayside and it's pretty sad."
The fourth victim was an Uber driver on Pinehurst Street at 6 a.m. Officials said a knife and gun were pulled out and the kidnappers demanded $900 be wired to a nearby Walmart. The driver's father sent the money and the men demanded $2,000 more, officials said.
When the additional money was sent, the Uber driver was released in Redford Township, but his car was stolen, court records show.
"This is the sort of case that if you look at it, you can imagine this sort of thing happening to yourself, your loved ones and others," Rockind said. "You truly feel that you are prosecuting someone who warrants incarceration and punishment."
Larkin and Currie-Lamar allegedly went north to the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, where a woman was held up. Police responded and a high-speed chase ensued. When the car was finally stopped, the two men were taken into custody, police said.
Multiple Uber and Lyft drivers identified Larkin and Currie-Lamar as the kidnappers, according to authorities. A trial date has been set for June 12.
Uber and Lyft said there are staff members working 24/7 for emergencies and their software keeps track of where drivers are at all time. The companies said drivers should call 911 first and then call Uber emergency.
Accepting fares is optional, so the companies said drivers should think twice about fares late at night in isolated areas or intersections, especially if the rider is new to the system.