Fake Uber driver with unconscious women in his back seat arrested for kidnapping

An Alabama man is accused of kidnapping while claiming to be an Uber driver to find a student at the university who was found unconscious in the back seat of his car, police said Monday.

Investigators found several images on the cell phone of the driver of at least one other woman of college age who appeared unconscious in the vehicle, said Captain Gary Hood, commander of the Crimes Unit. violent Tuscaloosa.

Court records show that Tommy Beard, 61, was released on bail Friday on a charge of first degree kidnapping. The archives do not mention a lawyer for him, and calls to the phone number indicated for him in these archives have remained unanswered.

"It's alarming, absolutely," Hood said.

"He had a fake Uber sign that he had bought online and he admitted that he was not an Uber driver," Hood added.

Various decals and Uber lights for vehicles, many with the Uber logo, were available Monday at Amazon.com. An Amazon representative said Monday night that she was looking into the matter.

Uber LED panels were also available Monday at Walmart.com. Walmart representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hood said Beard had taken the 22-year-old woman near the University of Alabama campus and drove her about 11 km away. A deputy noticed a car along the road and stopped to investigate, which led to his arrest on March 2. The court says the woman remembers being in a bar in Tuscaloosa, but nothing else until the member wakes her up.

A loaded handgun was found in Beard's vehicle, but he had a legal license, Hood said.

When he was taken to jail, Beard wore a t-shirt that said, "So, when is it old enough to know better," supposed to go into action? video of the Tuscaloosa News shows.

Hood advises Uber users to organize their trips in the company's application because it incorporates some security features. For example, the driver's name and a description of the vehicle are communicated to him before boarding.