A woman is facing murder charges after she allegedly shot and killed an Uber driver who she mistakenly believed was taking her to Mexico.
During a journey to a casino in El Paso, Texas, Phoebe D. Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, allegedly believed that 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia was attempting to kidnap her.
Phoebe D Copas, 48, is accused of murder
Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, died after being shot
She shot him in the back of the head after spotting the road sign for the Mexican town of Juarez, causing him to veer off the road and crash into a highway barrier.
According to an affidavit, Copas did not call 911 after the accident instead she sent her boyfriend a picture of the injured driver and he drove to the scene.
She was not in danger at the time of the occurrence, according to El Paso police, who also claimed that she was not close to any border crossings.
The El Paso Police Department’s Patrol Officers and Fire Medical teams responded to a shooting incident on U.S. 54 South near exit 20 at 2:19 p.m., according to a statement.
According to the initial inquiry, Piedra was transporting Copas from the Westside to a location in El Paso’s Mission Valley. Copas shot Piedra because she believed she was being brought into Mexico at some point during the journey.
“The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination.”
Copas was first accused by police of aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, but after the driver was taken off life support on Wednesday, her case was escalated to murder.
Daniel’s family and friends have been expressing their condolences. His niece Didi Lopez told the local media that her uncle was “a hardworking man” who was “never in a bad mood.”
As she told the local CBS affiliate KDBC-TV,
“They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff that’s not necessarily true, and when they come here, they come without really knowing,”
she further claimed that stereotypes about Mexico and the situation at the border may have contributed to his death.
“I miss him, and I wish this wouldn’t have happened to him.”
Daniel’s family has more than surpassed their $30,000 goal on a GoFundMe page set up in his memory, which they claim will be used to cover hospital and funeral expenses, as well as any other difficulties that may arise.
