A woman accused of fatally capturing her Uber driver in Texas following falsely believing she was getting driven to Mexico towards her will has been billed with murder, authorities said.
Phoebe D. Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, remained in El Paso County jail following her arrest June 16, the day the driver was shot, according to El Paso law enforcement and county jail data.
The relatives of driver Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, mentioned he was taken off life support Wednesday, NBC affiliate KTSM of El Paso claimed.
Even though Copas was to begin with booked on suspicion of aggravated assault creating severe bodily injury, the situation was upgraded to murder right after the driver died this week, according to law enforcement and jail documents. Bond for Copas was greater from $1 million to $1.5 million.
An lawyer assigned to protect Copas did not right away react to requests for remark.
Detectives consider Copas was in El Paso to check out her boyfriend, according to a complaint affidavit obtained by KTSM. She was in the backseat of the Uber en route to fulfill him at a casino when she noticed roadway indicators stating “Juarez, Mexico,” which is throughout the border from El Paso, according to the affidavit.
Believing she was remaining kidnapped and taken to Mexico, Copas shot the driver, creating the automobile, a Nissan Maxima, to strike a freeway barrier and arrive to a end together U.S. 54 South, police claimed.
Copas did not get in touch with authorities prior to capturing, and she failed to summon assist straight away after opening fire, the document states.
Somewhat, she took a photograph of the injured driver and texted it to her boyfriend, detectives explained in the affidavit. Then she termed for aid, the document states.
The boyfriend, who was not discovered, went to the scene and was there as law enforcement arrived, according to the affidavit.
1st responders arrived to come across Piedra bleeding profusely from the back of his head, the affidavit said. He was hospitalized in essential condition.
A number of pictures experienced been fired, the document states, and right after Copas exited the Nissan she dropped every thing she was holding, including a handgun.
“The investigation does not aid that a kidnapping took position or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ place,” police mentioned.
In a assertion about the case, Uber explained it would cooperate with investigators need to its support be needed, and additional that it has been in touch with the driver’s loved kinds.
“We are horrified by the rider’s actions,” it mentioned.
Ana Piedra, the victim’s spouse, wrote in a GoFundMe established up to enable with clinic and funeral bills that her partner was their household’s sole service provider.
Just after medical practitioners expressed zero hope he would endure, Daniel Piedra was disconnected from everyday living help, she stated on the fundraising site, which was confirmed by the web-site.
Didi Lopez, the victim’s niece, explained to KTSM her uncle was not a legal or a kidnapper.
“It’s so effortless to go make your assumptions and just make up situations. But which is not who he is,” she said. “He’s a hardworking gentleman.”
A bond listening to was scheduled Thursday, according to a court docket docket for the situation.
