PONTIAC, Mich. – A 19-year-old man was arrested for shooting and killing a woman working as a Lyft driver in Pontiac.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Putnam Avenue and Rundell Street around 5 a.m.
The Lyft driver received a call for a fare Friday (Oct. 21) morning to pick up someone at the Rochester Hills Walmart.
The sheriff’s department told Local 4 that the young man got in the car, and they rode seven miles into Pontiac, but the ride stopped just short of the destination.
It was reported as a vehicle accident initially, but when deputies arrived on the scene, they discovered the victim had been killed at point-blank range.
“Unbelievably heinous,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Bouchard called the scene a particularly grisly crime in that the shooter fired from the back seat into the back of the driver’s head. The driver was a middle-aged woman from Eastpointe.
“Just a really terrible and tragic situation,” Bouchard said.
Read: Woman fatally shot in back of head while working as Lyft driver in Pontiac
The sheriff’s office told Local 4 that the scene with debris remaining is just a few blocks away from where the woman driving the Lyft put in as a final destination.
Bouchard said it was not that difficult to identify a suspect considering the Lyft fare remained open, and they could follow the computerized credit card information.
“That was part of it and a number of things,” Bouchard said. “We also had people make descriptions at the scene we brought in the tracking dogs, and there were a lot of things that kind of pieced it together.”
Bouchard said shortly after noon that they did piece everything together, and now they’re pulling together their evidence to take to the prosecutor’s office.
“We believe, based on everything so far, that he is our suspect, and we have him in custody,” Bouchard said.
A neighbor’s Ring camera, which became essential to the investigation, shows officers rushing to the scene to help the victim.
The sheriff’s office is not saying who the driver was just yet, but Local 4 is told that the family has been to the medical examiner’s office for identification.
Local 4 has contacted Lyft to get the company’s reaction, and so far, we’ve not heard back.
So far, there’s no arraignment scheduled for the 19-year-old arrested.
“We are heartbroken by this tragic incident. Our hearts are with the victim’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time, and we’re working to get in touch with the family to offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement in any way we can, and will continue our efforts to combat this senseless violence and help keep drivers safe.”
Lyft Spokesperson
