Woman Who Shot Uber Driver Believed She Was Being Kidnapped And Taken To Mexico; Took Photo Of Injured Driver

EL PASO – Authorities have charged a woman with murder after she allegedly shot and killed her Uber driver in Texas.

The incident occurred when the woman, identified as Phoebe D. Copas, 48, from Tompkinsville, Kentucky, falsely believed that she was being forcibly driven to Mexico, police said.

The victim, Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support and passed away on Wednesday.

According to a complaint affidavit obtained by KTSM, detectives believe that Copas was in El Paso to visit her boyfriend. The incident occurred while she was seated in the backseat of the Uber vehicle, en route to meet him at a casino. Upon seeing roadway signs indicating “Juarez, Mexico,” which is located across the border from El Paso, Copas believed that she was being kidnapped and taken to Mexico. In response, she shot the driver, causing the vehicle, a Nissan Maxima, to collide with a highway barrier and come to a stop on U.S. 54 South.

The affidavit notes that Copas did not contact the authorities before the shooting and failed to seek immediate help after opening fire.

“The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination,” police said in a statement.

Initially, Copas was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, but the charges were upgraded to murder after the driver’s death. Her bond was subsequently increased from $1 million to $1.5 million. As of now, Copas’ assigned attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

Following her arrest on June 16, Copas was held in El Paso County jail, where she remains.

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