Police are investigating a string of Uber robberies in Baltimore and Baltimore County
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore police responded to three separate Uber-related crimes this weekend.
On Saturday, around 2:30 a.m., officers say they responded to a reported robbery in the 300 block of North Poppleton Street. When officers arrived, they spoke with a man who said he called an Uber, but when it arrived, he was approached by a suspect with a gun.
Police say the man was then forced into the Uber vehicle, then driven to an ATM, where the suspects tried to take money out of his account.
Afterward, the suspects drove the victim to Druid Park and let him out of the vehicle. From there he walked to the 3300 block of Reisterstown Road and called for help.
Another incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Monday. Baltimore Police responded to another reported robbery in the 1500 block of Russell Street, where police met a male who said he called an Uber to the Horseshoe Casino.
While riding, the victim noticed that he was being driven in the wrong direction and begin questioning the driver. At that point, the driver pulled over in the 1600 block of Bayard Street and another vehicle pulled behind them.
Police said several suspects carrying handguns approached the Uber and ordered the male to get out of the car.
The suspects then struck the male in the face multiple times and demanded he gave them his cell phone.
Afterward, the suspects got back into the car and pulled off following the Uber. Meanwhile, the male ran to Russell Street where he called the police.
About 45 minutes later, Baltimore County Police officers responded to another reported robbery. This time, the robbery took place in the 6900 block of Blanche Road.
Similar to the other incidents, the victim had requested an Uber. When the Uber arrived, the victim was approached by multiple suspects and told to get into the car.
The victim was driven to an ATM, where the suspects attempted to have the victim retrieve cash.
While these incidents are eerily similar, police have not said whether these incidents are connected.
Uber said in a statement issued on Monday that "the safety of riders and drivers is paramount at Uber" and that the reported thefts "are deeply concerning."
"We encourage riders and drivers to cancel trips if they don't feel safe and remind riders to always double check the details of their ride—car make and model, driver name and photo, and license plate—before getting in," an Uper spokesperson said in the statement. "We have a 24/7 team standing by to help with police investigations, and we look forward to supporting Baltimore area law enforcement however we can."
The pay-per-ride company said it has a 24/7 team on standby to help with police investigations.
