Woman jumps from moving car to escape fake Uber in Las Vegas
Joe Torres reports on a woman’s escape from a fake Uber driver in Nevada.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — An incident involving a woman in Nevada provided a cautionary tale about the potential danger of ride-sharing.
Elizabeth Suarez saw a car in Las Vegas that matched the description of the Uber she was waiting for.
The driver waved her over and she got inside.
RELATED: San Francisco DA announces public education campaign to enhance safety for rideshare users
She didn’t realize he wasn’t her driver until they were on the road and she got a call from the real Uber driver
When the man ignored her plea to pull over, Elizabeth jumped from the moving car to escape.
“I take a side profile picture of him, my flash goes off, startles him and that’s when he starts cursing: ‘Give me your wallet! Give me your phone! Give me everything you have!'”, she said.
RELATED: SoCal couple arrested for allegedly carjacking Uber in Sausalito, parking it in SF
She threw her wallet at him but kept her phone. Instead of letting her out, he sped up.
“That’s when I open the car door and it’s unlocked and I just jump out without thinking,” said Elizabeth.
Surveillance video showed her on the ground. She suffered a head injury, a fractured wrist and badly broken ankle.
The driver is still on the loose.
Note helps rescue woman allegedly kidnapped by fake Uber driver in Phoenix area
Investigators say a woman who was kidnapped in the Phoenix area used a note while in Yavapai County to alert a gas station customer she needed help.
By AZFamily Digital News Staff and Elliott Polakoff
Published: Aug. 25, 2023 at 1:49 AM GMT+7
SELIGMAN, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office says a woman was rescued after being kidnapped from Phoenix earlier this week, all thanks to a vigilant person in Seligman.
Deputies say that around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, a woman approached a customer at a Chevron off Interstate 40 in Seligman. The victim had reportedly written a note saying she had been kidnapped, described a van, and provided a phone number. She had told them that she was headed for Kingman and Las Vegas.
Yavapai County deputies responded, and the 911 caller provided additional information, including a description of their clothes. YCSO asked Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers for help. Not long after, they were located westbound on I-40.
Detectives said that the woman had been reported missing by her mother and had been entered as “missing and endangered” person earlier that afternoon. At the scene, 41-year-old Jacob Wilhoit was arrested with various firearms in his possession.
Investigators later learned that Wilhoit had allegedly abducted her from a car dealership in the Phoenix area. He reportedly wore a wig and pretended to be an Uber driver before taking her. “Wilhoit restrained her as they drove to Las Vegas and spent the night at a Lake Mead park,” said YCSO spokesperson Kristin Green in a news release. Green says the woman is still traumatized about what happened. “We’re confident that she’ll get through it. And obviously she wants to see this man put away. She’s still in a state of shock about all of this,” she said.
Green says the customer at the gas station did the right thing. “It’s really no skin off your back to take the person seriously and make the call to 911. If it turns out it’s some kind of hoax, no harm no foul. But don’t just automatically discount it,” she said.
Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer offered advice to avoid fake rideshare drivers. “There are special signature stickers that are on those windshields, and there should also be communication on your cellular phone,” she said. Coffindaffer also described what to do if a driver approaches with a gun. “Action is so much faster than reaction. By the time you run, or flee, or duck, or go into another direction, that person is not going to be able to have that bead on you in terms of that firearm,” she said.
Wilhoit now faces charges of harassment, aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping and multiple counts of assault.
Woman saved by note slipped to stranger after being ‘kidnapped by fake Uber driver’
An Arizona woman has been saved from an alleged kidnapper after she slipped a note to a stranger.
A woman was saved from an alleged kidnapper posing as an Uber driver after she slipped a note to a stranger at a petrol station.
The woman from Arizona, US, was taken to a Chevron gas station where she frantically passed a small yellow note to a complete stranger on Tuesday (22 August).
On the piece of paper, the woman wrote: ‘Help’, before including her name and phone number and giving a description of the car and where it was headed.
It read: “Call 911. Blue Honda van … going towards Kingman Las Vegas.”
After being passed the note, the customer called the police who rushed to the area, as per a Facebook post by the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
“The customer relayed that the van had just left westbound on I-40, and provided descriptions of the clothing for both the woman and the man with whom she was traveling,” the Sheriff’s Office statement read.
Earlier on in the afternoon, the woman’s mother had reported Jacob Wilhoit, 41, as a person of interest, as the woman was allegedly kidnapped from a car dealership.
Officers subsequently found the vehicle and arrested Wilhoit.
YSCO
The statement continued: “YCSO 911 Dispatchers determined that the victim had been reported missing by her mother and entered as missing/endangered earlier that afternoon. The entry mentioned Jacob Wilhoit by name as a person of interest.
“Detectives learned that Wilhoit had abducted her from a car dealership in the Phoenix area on Monday morning at approximately 7 a.m. He was wearing a wig and pretending to be an Uber driver. Wilhoit restrained her as they drove to Las Vegas and spent the night at a Lake Mead park.
“Multiple firearms were found in Wilhoit’s car in plain view. Wilhoit was ultimately booked on charges of harassment, threatening, and intimidating, aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, along with several other assault charges.
“The victim’s extraordinary action in passing the note, the customer’s willingness to assist, and the quick actions of YCSO and DPS saved the victim from her kidnapper and allowed her to return home with her family.”
YSCO
The woman who was allegedly kidnapped has been left ‘traumatised’, according to YCSO spokesperson Kristin Green.
Green told Arizona Family: “We’re confident that she’ll get through it. And obviously she wants to see this man put away. She’s still in a state of shock about all of this.”
The spokesperson went on to say that the quick-thinking customer did the right thing by calling 911 after receiving the note.
“It’s really no skin off your back to take the person seriously and make the call to 911. If it turns out it’s some kind of hoax, no harm no foul. But don’t just automatically discount it,” she added.Featured Image Credit: YSCO
Callum Jones
Updated 16:32 10 Jun 2025 GMT+1Published 16:10 10 Jun 2025 GMT+1
Greta Thunberg breaks silence after being deported and claiming Israel ‘kidnapped’ her on way to Gaza
Greta Thunberg has arrived in Paris after being deported from Israel
After she was ‘intercepted and kidnapped’ by Israeli forces on Monday (9 Jun) while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza, Greta Thunberg has released an emotional statement after landing in Paris.
Along with 11 other members of the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), she was apprehended when the British-flagged yacht she was travelling on, the Madleen, was intercepted as it attempted to challenge Israel’s naval blockage of the area.
The mission was aimed at raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Middle East, and delivering ‘baby formula, food and medical supplies’ to individuals who are starving.
In an unnerving pre-recorded clip shared to social media yesterday, Thunberg could be heard telling her followers: “My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces – or forces that support Israel.
A video of Thunberg’s plea began circling on social media (FFC)
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
In response, th Israeli foreign ministry confirmed the interception of the boat by sharing a video of amenities being handed out to the crew.
“All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed,” an accompanying statement claimed. “They were provided sandwiches and water.” They’d also captioned their online statement: “The show is over.”
Following the update released earlier today that the Swedish activist had since been deported from the Middle East to her home-country via France, she released a statement on the incident.
“I was very clear in my testimony that we were kidnapped on international waters and brought against our own will into Israel,” she declared.
Two new photos were shared to the ministry’s Twitter profile earlier today in which Thunberg could be seen being escorted onto a flight.
The activist has also addressed criticism that US President Donald Trump previously sent in her direction, during which he described her as an ‘angry person’.
Thunberg has since been deported (X)
“I think the world needs a lot more young angry women to be honest, especially with everything going on right now,” Thunberg declared.
During a White House meeting, the 78-year-old Republican said of the climate change activist: “Well she’s a strange person.
“She’s a young, angry person. I don’t know if it’s real anger. It’s hard to believe. But I saw what happened. She’s certainly different.”
Trump went on to jibe that the 22-year-old should look into ‘anger management’.
“That’s my primary recommendation for her,” he continued, before joking in a rather controversial comment: “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.”Featured Image Credit: HUGO MATHY/AFP via Getty Images
Topics: News, UK News, US News, World News, Politics
Rhianna Benson
Updated 16:30 10 Jun 2025 GMT+1Published 08:29 9 Jun 2025 GMT+1
Greta Thunberg says she’s been ‘kidnapped’ by Israel while trying to reach Gaza
The Swedish activist was travelling on the British-flagged Madleen to deliver aid to starving Palestinians
Greta Thunberg has been ‘intercepted and kidnapped’ by Israeli forces who took control of a vessel carrying the Swedish activist.
The Madleen – a British-flagged yacht operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) – was travelling to Gaza to deliver aid when the boat and it’s 12 man crew, including 22-year-old Thunberg, was apprehended.
The ship had attempted to challenge Israel’s naval blockage of the area, with the mission attempting to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Middle East.
Following their interception on the early hours of Monday morning (9 Jun) before the vessel could reach Gaza, the crew were subsequently transported to a port in Israel.
The crew were transported to a port in Israel (FFC)
In a new clip circulating social media, the prominent climate change activist could be heard telling viewers: “My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden.
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces – or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
The Israeli foreign ministry have since confirmed the interception of the boat.
In a statement of their own, a spokesperson for the ministry told press: “All the passengers of the ‘selfie yacht’ are safe and unharmed.
“They were provided sandwiches and water.”
Sharing a video of such amenities being handed out to the crew, the accompanying caption on the ministry’s Instagram page reads: “The show is over.”
A video of Thunberg’s plea has been circling on social media (FFC)
The organisers of the mission, the FFC, have since accused Israel of ‘forcibly intercepting’ the ship, and acting with ‘total impunity.’
In a further statement said online, the coalition claims the Madleen was ‘unlawfully boarded’, and its ‘civilian crew abducted.’
The FFC added that its ‘life saving cargo’ – which included ‘baby formula, food and medical supplies’ – was ‘confiscated.’
“These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalised for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade – their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” said FFC organiser Huwaida Arraf.
“Israel has no legal authority to detain international volunteers aboard the Madleen.”
Alongside Thunberg to have been apprehended is French member of the European parliament, Rima Hassan.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) since their interception, Hassam shared an image of the crew during the interception, where they could be seen in life jackets and holding their arms up in the air.
Gaza residents have been prevented receiving food for several months (Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
She added in response to Israel’s statement: “The crew of the Freedom Flotilla was arrested by the Israeli army in international waters around 2am. The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the ‘celebrities’ will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels.”
Israel’s naval blockage of Gaza has been in place since Hamas took control of the area in 2007, and has remained in place throughout the duration of several Middle Eastern conflicts.
The ongoing crisis in Gaza took a turn on 7 October 2023, when Hamas led an attack on Israel and – according to an Israeli tally – killed over 1,200 residents. Since then, over 54,000 Palestinians living in Gaza are said to have been killed by Israel’s military. However, the conflict did not begin in October and has been ongoing for over 70 years. On top of this, the United Nations believe that over 2 million further residents are facing famine.
Israel claim this starving of Palestinian people is necessary to prevent dangerous weapons being transported to Hamas hiding in the area.Featured Image Credit: Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images
Topics: News, UK News, US News, World News, Greta Thunberg
Rhianna Benson
Updated 09:43 1 Sep 2025 GMT+1Published 09:31 1 Sep 2025 GMT+1
Greta Thunberg travels to Gaza to ‘break blockade’ months after saying she’d been ‘kidnapped’ by Israeli officials
The Swedish activist was previously ‘intercepted and kidnapped’ by Israeli forces whilst attempting to deliver aid back in June
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg is heading back to the Middle East today as part of a flotilla of boats attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to those suffering in Gaza.
As part of the largest attempt yet to break Israel’s blockade of the area – following the United Nations ruling that Palestinian people are now suffering from a famine – a horde of ships departed from Barcelona, Spain yesterday (31 Aug).
The move comes in response to Israel upping its offensive on Gaza by shutting down food distribution centres across the land, as well as the bombing of local bakeries in the area, and placing restrictions on medical aid.
Gaza Health Ministry claims that, so far, over 63,000 lives have been lost as a result of the war, with more than 332 Palestinians dying of starvation – 124 being children.
Greta Thunberg spoke to press about her latest mission to help the Palestinian people (Albert Llop/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Along with hundreds of pro-Palestine activists, 22-year-old Thunberg boarded the Global Sumud Flotilla today, armed with food, water and medication, having demanded safe passage to Gaza, as per ITV News.
The group – which is said to include delegates from 44 countries – could be seen sporting kaffiyehs and chanting statements including ‘Free Palestine!’ and ‘Boycott Israel!’
The convoy will be joined by a further mass of ships travelling from ports in Italy and Tunisia in the coming days, organisers have told press.
Thunberg previously declared at a news conference: “The story here is about Palestine. The story here is how people are being deliberately deprived of the very basic means to survive.”
The voyage comes months following the young activist’s first attempt to deliver aid to the people of Gaza.
A famine was recently declared in Gaza (Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Back in June, Thunberg was ‘intercepted and kidnapped’ by Israeli forces whilst travelling through the area on a British-flagged yacht operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC).
The group – a 12-man crew – were apprehended whilst attempting to challenge Israel’s naval blockage of the area, and deliver ‘baby formula, food and medical supplies’ to malnourished Palestinians.
A video shared on social media at the time heard Thunberg explain: “My name is Greta Thunberg and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces – or forces that support Israel.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible.”
Thunberg was ‘kidnapped’ earlier this year (FFC)
The crew were later deported from the Middle East to their respective home countries via France.
Ahead of her latest mission, however, Thunberg told the Associated Press on Saturday (30 Aug): “It has been very clear that Israel has been continuously violating international law by either attacking, unlawfully intercepting the boats in international waters, and continuously preventing the humanitarian aid from coming in.”
In response, Israel threatened to soon halt humanitarian aid into parts of northern Gaza, claiming it plans to expand its military offensive against Hamas.
