The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office reported that a Brevard man was detained after attempting to steal an Uber driver’s vehicle and assaulting the driver.
According to the arrest report, the Sheriff’s office received a call from the driver, who said a guy strangled and kicked him out of his red Jeep.
The Sheriff’s office immediately responded to the call and located the suspect, who was identified as Derek Strang.
Strang sat in the Jeep’s back seat, on the driver’s side. The attacker went across to the Uber driver’s side of the car, wrapped both arms around the victim’s neck, and strangled him as the car drew up in front of a Chili’s restaurant on Merritt Island. The driver managed to call 911 and was able to exit the car.
Strang then jumped into the driver’s seat and attempted to drive away but wasn’t able to make it out of the parking lot. Officers was able to apprehend him quickly.
According to the driver, the brakes lock and halt after a set distance if any doors are open. The investigators said that once deputies had Strang handcuffed, they discovered a pocketknife on him.
Strang was arrested with charges of carjacking using a weapon or firearm. Online records show that he is currently booked into the Brevard County Jail.
Deputies in Brevard County are still looking into what caused the attack. As questions remain unanswered, detectives have not been able to confirm Strang’s motive.
In November, a Florida Uber driver got into an argument over a drop-off location and the passenger attacked him, causing the driver to shoot him. The driver sustained minor injuries and cooperated with law enforcement. He was not charged.
In July, a Uber driver was involved in a carjacking incident in Miami Garden and was forced out of the vehicle unhurt. The car was later recovered in Miramar.
In August, a female Uber driver was stabbed by a rider in Deerfield Beach.
The driver was a single mom, who works with Uber to pay for college and her eight-year-old child, She said she was almost killed.
