Police report: Mishawaka woman allegedly harassed by Lyft driver
MISHAWAKA, Ind. —- A Mishawaka woman said a Lyft driver has been harassing and stalking her since February.
According to a police report, the driver alleged harassed her when she was in his car. She said on February 21 the driver offered her a free ride so she could save her money.
“He started taking me down back roads after he had cancelled the ride, where there was no way of tracking me,” she said.
She said she asked him where they were going. The woman, who will remain anonymous, said she is on house arrest and needed to on the approved route from her house to her job.
“Once we got to my place of employment he asked for a kiss after he caressed my leg,” she said.
She said she did not kiss him and got out of the car.
She told ABC 57 News in total she had rode with the Lyft driver about 10 times. But she said she believes he has been allegedly stalking her since February.
“He said when he first laid eyes on me he knew that he had to have me,” the woman said.
She said, working second and third shift, Lyft is her main mode of transportation. She said she will use the service four times a day.
The woman said she has used other Lyft drivers. However, whenever she goes to order a ride, she said the man is two or three minutes away from her jobs or her house.
There have been times when she is out with family and she said the man will show up.
On Wednesday morning, she said the Lyft driver asked her if she worked the night before.
“And he’s like ‘yeah I seen you’ and I said ‘oh yeah why didn’t you say anything,’” she said. “He’s like ‘um I’m watching you kind of like a ghost I’m always watching you.’”
She reported him to Lyft. In a statement to ABC 57 News, the ride-sharing application said the following:
"Safety is our top priority and there is absolutely no place in our community for harassment of any kind. We have permanently banned the driver from the Lyft platform and have been in touch with the passenger to offer our support. We are in touch with law enforcement to assist with their investigation."
The Mishawaka Police Department said they are investigating this case.
“I can’t really go into details of what the investigation details but we are looking into it,” said Lt. Tim Williams.
Ride-sharing applications have surged in popularity over the last several years. However, riders are feeling a little more on edge lately after a South Carolina college student was killed by a fake Uber driver.
Lt. Williams said ride-sharing passengers should use some of these safety tips:
- Check the license plate, make and model of the car to see if it matches the information on the application.
- Check the driver’s profile picture to see if it matches the person behind the wheel.
- Use the rating system. If a driver is bad, be honest with the rating so the next driver is aware.
- Call the 24/7 Customer Service line to report inappropriate behavior.
The woman said she should feel safe since she is paying for the ride. She said she spoke out because of her friends and recent attacks on ride-sharing passengers.
“I was saved I say by the house arrest,” she said. “But what if you know there was some else that didn’t have that you know and he had done something to them.”