Uber Driver Arrested On Suspicion Of Stealing iPhone From Customer
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 35-year-old Uber driver who allegedly stole a cell phone from one of his customers has been arrested, police said Wednesday.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Medhanie Meshesha was arrested Tuesday at his home in Inglewood.
Meshesha was booked for robbery and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Around 2:40 p.m. Saturday, one of Meshesha's Uber passengers, CJ Yu, realized he had forgotten his iPhone inside the vehicle.
Yu contacted Meshesha and requested for him to return the cell phone to his residence.
During the ride back, Yu offered Meshesha a tip for returning the iPhone to him, but Meshesha became upset and requested additional compensation.
When Yu refused to pay the larger tip, Meshesha allegedly grabbed a rock from a front yard of a residence and threatened to hit him with it.
As Yu walked away, Meshesha dropped the rock and grabbed the iPhone from his hand. Meshesha then ran to his car and fled from the scene.
According to Uber, Meshesha has been suspended from the company.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident has been urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery Bureau at (213) 485-2562.