When a Maryland man called an Uber in The District Saturday night, he didn’t expect to be kidnapped and robbed at gunpoint.
Michael, the victim, called an Uber to pick him up from Hawthorne, a restaurant on U Street, at 2:30 a.m., police documents say. When the light-colored Honda sedan with two people inside pulled up, Michael opened the door and tried to make sure he was getting into the right car.
He asked, "Is this the Uber for Mike?"
One of two the suspects in the car said yes, and Michael got inside. The driver drove off, saying they were "going for a ride." Then he demanded that Michael hand over his cellphone and wallet, according to police documents.
Realizing it wasn’t his ride-share vehicle, Michael told police that he asked to be let out several times. That’s when the suspect in the rear pulled out a black handgun, and Michael gave up his items, according to police documents.
Michael told police that the two suspects drove him to a gas station and multiple ATMs, where they withdrew money from his account. As the sun was coming up, Michael jumped out of the vehicle and ran away.
Police are trying to identify the suspects, a black man and a black woman, who were caught on surveillance video on Aug. 4.
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The incident may be related to other armed kidnappings that occurred on U Street earlier this summer, police say.
On July 14, a man entered a dark-colored four-door sedan near The Codmother restaurant on U Street, thinking he and the suspects would be smoking marijuana. The suspects struck him with a handgun and drove him around, police documents say, withdrawing cash from his bank accounts before throwing him out of the vehicle in Maryland.
Two weeks later on July 27, a man entered a four-door SUV on the 600 block of U Street, believing he would be buying marijuana from the three suspects in the vehicle. The suspects prevented him from getting out while they drove around, before letting him out in Virginia.
Police are asking for anyone who can identify the individuals to call 202-727-9099, or text a tip to the department’s tip line at 50411. There's a $10,000 cash reward in case.
It's important to check the name of the driver, the license plate and the driver photo before accepting a ride from someone who says they are an Uber driver, the ride-share's website says. News4 talked to riders who shared their tips to verify ride share drivers before getting in.
"I always check the license plate and confirm the name and I make them tell me my name first," one rider said.
