Local News

Uber driver faces kidnapping charge after allegedly refusing to stop at teen passenger’s destination

Police said the 19-year-old saw an opportunity to jump out of the vehicle as the driver was forced to slow down due to traffic.

By Heather Alterisio

April 20, 2022

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email
• 10

A ride-share driver from Quincy was charged with kidnapping after he allegedly refused to let a 19-year-old female passenger out of his vehicle in Bourne on Friday afternoon.

The passenger told state police troopers that she had to jump out of the vehicle after the driver, later identified as 46-year-old My Mhamedi-Alaoui, did not stop at her planned destination, Massachusetts State Police said.

After missing the passenger’s stop, Mhamedi-Alaoui continued to drive, despite being asking numerous times to stop, the passenger told police.

Though he reportedly had several opportunities to reverse his direction on Route 6, Mhamedi-Alaoui instead accelerated and drove over the Bourne Bridge, according to the police report. Around this time, the passenger saw an opportunity to jump out of the vehicle as the driver was forced to slow down due to traffic.

After escaping the vehicle, she went to the state police barracks in Bourne, where she filed a police report at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Police located Mhamedi-Alaoui at a shopping plaza in Bourne, after receiving his contact information from Uber.

The driver was arrested, charged with kidnapping, and placed on $500 bail.

“What’s been reported by the rider is terrifying,” a spokesperson for Uber told Boston.com by email. “We removed this driver’s access to the Uber platform as soon as it was reported to us and are assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”

The ride-share service said all potential drivers are required to undergo background checks, which specifically look for motor vehicle-related and criminal offenses on the local, state, and federal levels. Drivers are re-screened on an annual basis, according to Uber.

Riders are encouraged to call 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. There is also an in-app emergency button that can be pressed, Uber said.

WCVB reported that the 19-year-old female “was so scared that she debated using a pocket knife she had in her bag to protect herself.”