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East Meadow resident Genri Palacios Acosta, 35, hired an Uber who took him to Target in Westbury at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, Nassau County Police said. While he went inside the store, the driver waited outside.
According to police, while inside, Acosta placed several items inside a shopping cart and walked out without paying. He was followed out of the store by security, abandoned the cart and attempted to run back to the Uber.
The 28-year-old driver, having seen what transpired, refused to drive him, exiting his vehicle, police said. Acosta then allegedly re-entered the car, this time in the driver’s seat, and the driver re-entered the vehicle in the passenger’s seat.
Police said that a struggle ensued for the car keys and Acosta began driving away. After threatening the use of a gun and the vehicle slowing down, the Uber driver jumped from the moving vehicle. Acosta then fled the area with the victim’s car.
The investigation revealed that Acosta had been arrested on Sunday, Feb. 2, and had been fitted with an ankle monitoring bracelet, which they used to track him down outside his East Meadow home. At the time of his arrest, Acosta was in a taxi cab and he was taken into custody without incident.
During his arrest, Acosta was found to be in possession of a vile of marijuana and a glass pipe containing crack cocaine. The vehicle that he took from the Uber driver was located in Hempstead.
Acosta was charged with second-degree robbery, petit larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead on Friday, Feb. 7.
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