A Kentucky woman visiting Texas is accused of fatally shooting her Uber driver because she falsely feared he would kidnap her and drive her to Mexico, according to local police accused her of murder this week.
The incident happened in El Paso last Friday.
Phoebe Copas, 48, was in an Uber heading to a casino where her boyfriend was planning to meet her when she reportedly saw traffic signs for Juarez and panicked. reported local NBC affiliate KTSMciting court documents.
Copas then allegedly took a pistol from her purse and shot 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia in the head. The vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier, according to local ABC news affiliate KVIA.
Court documents obtained by local media say Copas took a picture of the scene and sent it to her boyfriend before calling 911.
Piedra was taken to hospital with serious injuries, but his family announced in an update on GoFundMe book page that he died this week after being taken off life support.
El Paso police arrested Copas at the scene. She was charged with aggravated assault and, after Piedra’s death, murder.
“The investigation does not establish that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra deviated from the Copas’ destination,” investigators said a statement.
Piedra’s niece, Didi Lopez, said local news channel CBS4 She suggested that negative assumptions about the southern US border may have contributed to the woman’s state of mind.
“They make assumptions, they see things, maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and things that aren’t necessarily true, and when they come here, they come without really knowing it,” Lopez told CBS4.
“He was really excited to drive for Uber. He was already supporting his family. On top of that, he met so many people,” she said.
Copas’ bond was priced at $1.5 million.