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48°
Saturday, apr 27
Tag:
Uber
Schools
Uber Giving Temple Students $200K In Free Rides
Temple University students can get free rides from Uber this year. The ride-share company is providing $200,000 in free rides to students looking to leave unsafe situations, according to the school's student-run newspaper, Temple News. Each student can get four free rides costing $20 through the end of the year, thanks to a partnership with Student Activists Against Sexual Assault, a student organization that aims to combat sexual violence, the newspaper says. To get the free ride, students must log into their Uber account using their Temple email and enter the code TempleRideHome. Click …
Police & Fire
North Jersey HS Seniors Get Into Scrape When One 'Shoots' At Uber Driver In 'Assassin' Game
A half-dozen Hackensack High School seniors who started out having innocent fun got more than they bargained for when one of them firedt a toy Orbeez gun at an Uber driver. The teens were headed to the Walmart off Route 46 in Teterboro as part of the increasingly popular "Senior Assassin" game when they say they were cut off. Played by high school seniors and university students, the group-chat game involves teams that "eliminate targets" by shooting at one another with water guns that fire gel pellets, then share the encounters on social media. It's naturally caused concern in certain cir…
Police & Fire
South Jersey Man Arrested In Armed Carjacking Of Uber Driver: Police
A 20-year-old Burlington County man has been arrested in connection with an armed carjacking involving an Uber driver, authorities said. Michael Disantis of Maple Shade was charged with robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a shotgun and other weapons offenses, Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said. He faces additional charges in an earlier carjacking, the chief said. On Wednesday May 24, at 6:04 p.m., Maple Shade police were dispatched to 100 Fox Meadow Drive for a reported motor vehicle theft, he…
Police & Fire
Uber Driver Touched Rider Sexually On Jersey Shore: Prosecutor
An Uber driver has been charged with criminal sexual contact after touching a rider inappropriately, authorities said. Ronald Yaniak, 56, of Little Egg Harbor was charged on Sunday, March 5 for the incident that allegedly occurred in Tuckerton, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. On Saturday, March 4, the Borough of Tuckerton Police Department received a 911 call from a female stating that she was touched inappropriately by an Uber driver while she was utilizing the ride-sharing service, Billhimer said. An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecu…
News
Vigilantes Defy Prosecutor, Snare Elmwood Park Man In Alleged Plan To Send Uber For Boy For Sex
A group of vigilantes led police to an Elmwood Park man accused of sending an Uber to pick up a fare whom he thought was a 14-year-old boy for sex. Just a week after Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella threatened to arrest citizens who conduct their own stings, the vigilantes summoned Elmwood Park police to the North Street home of Orhan Sokoli around 3:30 a.m. last Friday, Dec. 30. They told the officers who responded that Sokoli sent an Uber to a designated address thinking he was having an underage boy picked up for sex at his home after meeting on a dating site and exchanging texts, P…
Police & Fire
Monmouth County Man, 28, Arrested For Threatening Uber Driver With Knife, Police Say
A 28-year-old man from Monmouth County was charged with terroristic threats and weapons offenses after threatening an Uber driver with a knife during an argument over pricing, authorities said. Police responded to the incident on Dutch Neck Road in East Windsor around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 20, EWPD Officer Sebastian Marin said. Felipe Sanchez, of Neptune, allegedly got into a dispute with his Uber driver over the price of his fare and threatened the driver with a knife. Sanchez was arrested and charged with terroristic threats and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. …
News
Armed
,
Dangerous
: Fugitive Wanted By
Nypd
, ATF Captured In North Jersey
An armed and dangerous fugitive wanted by the NYPD and ATF had nowhere to run when Fairview police surprised him, authorities said. Alvin Eusebio, a 37-year-old ex-con, was wanted for shootings in Manhattan and Queens, as well as federal firearm offenses in Miami, when a colleague from the NYPD warrant squad told Fairview Police Detective Lt. Michael Martic that he might be in town. An Uber driver from the city had apparently dropped Eusebio off at an apartment building at the corner of Broad Avenue (Route 1&9) and Prospect Avenue in Fairview, the lieutenant said. Detectives obtained …
News
Why Uber Is Paying NJ Record $100 Million Back In Taxes
In a record-setting misclassification case, Uber has agreed to pay New Jersey $100 million back in taxes after a state audit found the ride-share company misclassified drivers as independent contractors. This is the most amount of money New Jersey has received for this type of case, and covers 297,866 drivers. The payment follows New Jersey Department of Labor (NJDOL) audits that assessed Uber and its subsidiary Rasier LLC a combined $78 million in past-due contributions plus penalties and interest of $22 million. Employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors skip…
News
Uber Driver, Accomplices Stage Knifepoint Holdup Of Passenger At NJ Hotel: Prosecutor
An Uber passenger was robbed at knifepoint outside a Saddle Brook hotel by a man who’d conspired with the female driver and another accomplice to hold him up, authorities said. Uber driver Karina Eremyan, 30, of Fair Lawn was behind the wheel when ex-con Antonio Bowen, 28, of Fair Lawn put a knife to the passenger’s neck in the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Saddle Brook hotel off Route 80 around 3:30 a.m. March 23, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Bowen forced the fare to turn over his backpack, which contained $3,000 and other undisclosed items, the prosecutor said Friday. Th…
News
FBI: Groomed-For-Sex Indiana Girl, 15, Rescued After Paterson Man Pays Uber To Bring Her To NJ
A 22-year-old Paterson man showered a 15-year-old Indiana girl he'd met online with money, gifts and compliments before paying an Uber driver to bring her to him for sex, federal authorities said. Arnold Castillo "groomed" the girl, gaining her trust and alienating her from her family and other support systems before convincing her to leave Lawrence, IN, for New Jersey, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Southern Indiana charged. Castillo "paid and arranged for an Uber driver to pick up the minor and transport her across state lines to him," alleges to an FBI complaint on file in U.S. District …
News
Uber To Pay Millions For Penalizing Riders With Disabilities, Federal Authorities Announce
Uber will forfeit nearly $1.8 million to more than 1,000 passengers with disabilities and refund double the amount of wait time fees to more than 65,000 others to resolve a federal complaint, authorities announced. Uber will also furnish an additional $500,000 to others harmed by the practice and will also waive wait time fees for certified riders with disabilities going forward, the Justice Department said Monday. The agreement settles federal allegations that the ride-hailing giant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, authorities said. The double-money-back part of the deal coul…
News
Uber Sued By Jersey Shore Bridal Shop Over Bogus Driver's Dress Theft: Report
A Jersey Shore bridal shop has sued Uber, saying one of its drivers stole seven wedding dresses worth more than $4,000, NJ Advance Media reported. The driver allegedly called himself "Torrey," and gave someone else's phone number before making off with the dresses, the outlet said. Azaria Bridal in Freehold said that the driver called the business on Tuesday, May 17, confirming that he could pick up and deliver dresses for the company, the report says citing court papers. “Uber does not confirm the authenticity of driver credentials, driver identity or vehicle registration,” the laws…
News
Uber Driver, Buddy Stole $165K In Luxury Items, Cocaine, 15 LBS Of Marijuana: Kearny PD
A Newark Uber driver and his buddy from the Bronx were nabbed after a four-month-long investigation that yielded 15 pounds of pot, $165,000 in luxury goods and more, police said. Javier Ortega, 40, of Newark, NJ, and Severiano Ybert Perez, 42, of Bronx, NY, were arrested on Tuesday, July 12, Kearny Police Chief George King said. The investigation all started with two burglaries reported in one multi-family home on Argyle Place on Feb. 27, police said. The suspects matched the description of the burglars who committed similar thefts at a Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, on Feb. 2…
Police & Fire
Filipino Government Attorney Shot Dead In Philadelphia Uber With Mom
A 36-year-old government attorney from the Philippines was shot in the head and killed during a trip to Philadelphia this weekend, the country's consulate general confirmed. John Albert Laylo was in the back of an Uber with his mom when nearly 15 shots were fired into the rear window and driver's side of the car at 38th and Spruce Streets around 4:10 a.m. Saturday, June 18, police said. Laylo was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition, and died Sunday morning after being on life support, police said. The incident was random and possibly a road-rage inciden…
News
Police: Uber Driver Punches NJ Customer In Head, Video Shows
An Uber driver punched a customer in the head after refusing him a ride from a Bergen County golf course, authorities said. Security video from the Soldier Hill Golf Course shows the driver dropping the victim with a closed-fist punch to the temple shortly after 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 17, Emerson Police Chief Michael Mazzeo said. He got back into his car and drove off but was nabbed moments later by River Edge police thanks to a "stop and hold" issued by their Emerson colleagues, the chief said. The victim told police he got into the back seat for a ride home when the driver said he could…
News
Chilling Dashcam Footage Shows Uber Driver Begging For Life Before Passenger Kills Her: Report
"I'm begging you, I have four kids." Those were some of Christina "Christi" Marto Spicuzza's last words before her Uber passenger, Calvin Anthony Crew, 22, shot and killed her during a ride last weekend in Pennsylvania, according to a recent news report. Crew, of Penn Hills, used his girlfriend's phone to order the Uber before ordering 38-year-old Spicuzza to drive at gunpoint, as she begged for her life the entire time, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette says citing court documents. Spicuzza's body was found with a single gunshot wound to her head, by an Amazon driver on a street in Pitcair…
News
Uber Driver, Mom Of Four Found Dead In PA
A mother of four who did not return from her work as an Uber driver was found dead in Pennsylvania on Saturday, according to the police. Christina “Christi” Marto Spicuzza, 38, of Turtle Creek, had been missing since Thursday, Feb. 10. Two days later, the Monroeville police were called to the 500 block of Rosecrest Drive in Allegheny County around noon for a body discovery — later identified as that of Spicuzza's, authorities said in an updated release. The victim's family had reported her as missing on Friday after she “failed to return home after taking several Uber fares on Thursday ni…
News
Uber Refunds Passenger $600 After Getting Stranded On I-95 For Hours
Uber has refunded a $600 bill a Virginia man was slapped with after he got stuck on I-95 due to snow, according to People. Andrew Peters flew in from San Francisco to Dulles International Airport but said he "didn't really realize" how bad the weather was going to be on Jan. 3. He ordered an Uber and ended up getting stuck on the snow-packed I-95 for 9 hours with his driver and was eventually charged a $600 bill for the ordeal, as was originally reported by WTOP. After the story went viral, People magazine reached out to Uber who confirmed that Peters would be refunded for the experience: …
News
Uber Passenger Slapped With $600 Bill After Hours Stranded On I-95
A Virginia Uber passenger ended up paying hundreds of dollars after the car he was in got stranded on I-95 due to snow, according to WTOP. Andrew Peters, of Richmond Virginia, told the station he was going home after arriving from San Francisco at Dulles International Airport and was clueless of the weather nightmare he was going to encounter. “It was kind of scary,” Peters told WTOP. “We didn’t have any food or water.” He finally made it home after a grueling nine hours and paid a $200 Uber bill. But -- to add insult to injury -- Peters said Uber added $400 in additional charges…
Police & Fire
Ex-Uber, Lyft Driver Convicted Of Stalking 14-Year-Old Girl: Prosecutor
A 43-year-old man who formerly worked as an Uber and Lyft driver has been found guilty of stalking a 14-year-old girl, authorities said. Shyam Gurung, formerly of Jersey City, was convicted by a Monmouth County Jury of fourth-degree stalking, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey. This week's conviction followed a weeklong trial and two days of deliberations, Linskey said. A May 2017 investigation led by Hazlet police found that Gurung allegedly drove his black Infiniti sedan to Hazlet Middle School on multiple occasions in order t…
Police & Fire
Uber Driver Wanted For Locking Woman In Car Until She Gave Her Number: Police
Authorities in southeastern Pennsylvania are looking for an Uber driver who is accused of locking a woman in his car and forcing himself on her until she agreed to give him her phone number. On Dec. 13, an arrest warrant was issued for Maher Abdelga-Elmeleh, 42, on charges of indecent assault, harassment, and false imprisonment, Marple Township police said. Investigators allege Abdelga-Elmeleh picked up the woman in October and drove her to her destination in Broomall. When the passenger arrived in Broomall, she was unable to get out of the car because the door was locked, police sai…
News
Feds: NJ Uber Carjacker Gets 8 Years Without Parole
A Union County man who dragged a female Uber driver from her vehicle and threw her to the ground during a carjacking must spend the next seven years in federal prison. Rakeem McNair, 22, of Roselle, joined Raquin Tanner, 26, of Newark in taking a deal from the government rather than risk trial. Both he and Tanner -- who got 6½ years -- must serve out just about all of their plea-bargained sentences because there's no parole in the federal prison system. The victim was in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Summer Avenue in Newark around 11 p.m. Aug. 13, 2019 when Tanner, McNair and anot…
News
Wild
Ride
: Beaten, Bitten Uber Driver Pepper Sprays NJ Carjack Couple
An Uber driver was beaten and bitten by a paroled armed robber he’d picked at a Route 46 motel but managed to pepper-spray the ex-con and his companion before they could carjack him, Elmwood Park police said. Dahmier Garvey, 23, and Johanna Bell, 19, got into his vehicle near the Red Carpet Motel on the eastbound highway early Sunday night, the 36-year-old victim from Wyckoff told responding officers. He told them that there was no smoking in the vehicle, he said, and that Uber company police required that both wear COVID masks, Police Chief Michael Foligno said. Bell, of Hawthorne wore …
News
Man Gets Life In Prison For Killing NJ College Student Who Mistook His Car For Uber
A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison for killing a college student from New Jersey who mistook his vehicle for her Uber. South Carolina senior Samantha "Sami" Josephson, 21, of Robbinsville, NJ, ordered an Uber ride home after a night out in Downtown Columbia around 2 a.m. March 29, 2019. Thinking Nathaniel Rowland's vehicle was her ride home, she hopped inside. Instead of bringing Josephson back to her apartment, 27-year-old Rowland used childproof locks on his a black Chevrolet Impala to keep her from escaping, and stabbed her 120 times, prosecutors said. Her body was f…
News
NJ Uber Carjacker Gets 6½ Years In Federal Prison
A Newark man was sentenced Monday to a plea-bargained 6½ years in federal prison for helping a gunman drag an Uber driver from her car and throw her to the ground during a carjacking. Raquin Tanner, 25, will have to serve just about all of the term because there's no parole in the federal prison system. The victim was in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Summer Avenue in Newark around 11 p.m. Aug. 13, 2019 when Tanner and two other thugs approached from around the corner, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. As they neared the vehicle, video surveillance shows, Tanner “spoke…
Police & Fire
Reports: DWI NJ Driver Wanted In Deadly Philly Uber Crash Nabbed By US Marshals
A South Jersey man accused of driving drunk and causing the crash that killed a 21-year-old Uber passenger in Philadelphia was nabbed by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Monday morning, authorities said. Aaron Sims, 27, of Camden, was arrested in West Philadelphia after being on the run more than a year, and charged in the Jan. 25, 2020 death of West Virginia University student Chloe Robertson, 6abc reports. Robertson was riding in an Uber while visiting friends in the Delaware Valley when the Uber was rear-ended by a speeding vehicle on the Vine Street Expressway around 1:10 a.m. Sims…
News
NJ Uber Rider Accused Of Threatening Driver With Fake Gun For Oral Sex Indicted
A gun-wielding Uber rider from Fort Lee who threatened to kill a driver if she didn’t give him oral sex had taken off his shirt and was sitting in the front seat when police showed up, authorities said. The Uber driver had fooled Andrew Mendez, 30, into waiting while she ran into a Paterson grocery store to get something to drink, an indictment returned by a state grand jury says. Officers who seized Mendez also found an imitation handgun that the driver said he’d “racked” during their ride, it says. Mendez has remained in the Passaic County Jail ever since the incident on Feb. 16, 2020. …
News
Pair Admit Violent Gunpoint Carjacking Of Female Uber Driver In Newark
An accused carjacker admitted Monday that he helped a gunman drag an Uber driver from her car and throw her to the ground in Newark before they drove off with the vehicle. Rakeem McNair, 21, of Roselle, took a guilty plea in federal court in Newark less than two weeks after an accomplice, city resident Raquin Tanner, 25, confessed to his own role in the Aug. 13, 2019 carjacking. The victim was in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Summer Avenue in Newark around 11 o’clock that night when three thugs approached, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig said. Video surveillance shows Tanner ap…
News
Feds: Armed Fugitive In 7-Hour Hudson Hotel Standoff Was ‘Prepared For War,’ ‘Ready To Die’
UPDATE: A heavily-armed fugitive who held tactical officers at bay for nearly seven hours at a Secaucus hotel told police that he was “prepared for war” and “ready to die,” the U.S. attorney for New Jersey said Monday. ATF agents charged Rahim Harris, 42, of Maplewood, with being a convicted felon in possession of weapons and ammo, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. His wife, Haneefha White, 39, of Pottsville, PA, who was with him, is charged with aiding and abetting the possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. Authorities said they found eight loaded wea…
News
Found
! Missing Paterson Woman Home Safe After Two Weeks
A missing 20-year-old Paterson woman was home safe, relieved family members friends said Wednesday morning. "This is what community looks like," wrote Zellie Thomas, a leader of the Paterson BLM group, following the return of Nyrah Barner Curry. Both her father and brother confirmed that Nyrah was back after they and others spoke at a City Council meeting about her disappearance, asking why they -- and not Paterson officials -- had to get the word out about her disappearance despite a missing persons report. Thomas didn't elaborate on why Curry was gone and where she'd been. Family membe…
News
Found
! Missing Paterson Woman Home Safe After Two Weeks
A missing 20-year-old Paterson woman reportedly was home safe. "This is what community looks like," wrote Zellie Thomas, a leader of the Paterson BLM group, Wednesday morning in announcing the return of Nyrah Barner Curry. Both her father and brother confirmed her return after loved ones and others spoke at a City Council meeting about her disappearance and why they -- and not Paterson officials -- had to get the word out about her disappearance despite a missing persons report. Thomas didn't elaborate on why Curry was gone and where she'd been. Family members believed she was headed to a…
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