Man pleads guilty to kidnapping Texas Lyft driver, forcing 1,300-mile trip to South Florida
By Hunter Geisel
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MIAMI (WFOR) — A man who was charged with kidnapping a Lyft driver in North Texas at gunpoint and forcing him to drive them more than 1,300 miles to South Florida over the summer has pleaded guilty to the crime.
Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 24, pleaded guilty this week to the August armed kidnapping incident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida announced on Thursday. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2025.
Pastran Hernandez is currently charged with kidnapping, carjacking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. With these charges, he could face up to life in prison but the court will determine any sentence after considering U.S. sentencing guidance and other statutory factors.
On the night of Aug. 16, Pastran Hernandez was picked up in Arlington, Texas, by the Lyft driver and was then taken to a gas station that appeared to be out of service. It was then that he pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver, arrest documents said.
Officials told CBS News Miami the Lyft driver offered Pastran Hernandez their possessions but he threatened to tie up the driver. The driver begged to drive and Pastran Hernandez ordered them to head toward Florida.
Following Pastran Hernandez’s instructions, the Lyft driver drove until 11 a.m. the following day, when Pastran Hernandez then directed the driver to tell their children about a work trip while passing through Louisiana.
According to arrest documents, Pastran Hernandez found an unloaded 9mm handgun and its ammunition that the driver had kept in his vehicle during the trip.
On Aug. 17, Pastran Hernandez and the Lyft driver arrived in the Miami Beach area. Once in South Florida, Pastran Hernandez then told the driver that he intended to kidnap another person and hold them for a $3 million ransom.
Two days later, Pastran Hernandez directed the driver to go to a Dollar General in Hialeah for supplies. The driver then hid in the store bathroom, and Pastran Hernandez grabbed the car keys and ran away when law enforcement arrived.
Three hours after the Dollar General incident, police found Pastran Hernandez with the driver’s loaded handgun that was found in a bag he tried to discard while fleeing authorities.
When questioned by police, Pastran Hernandez admitted to the armed kidnapping.
In a statement to CBS News Texas, Lyft called the incident “deeply troubling.” The rideshare company also said it has reached out to its driver to offer support, permanently banned Pastran Hernandez’s account from its platform and assisted law enforcement with the investigation.
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