A woman fatally shot an Uber driver. Police say she wrongly thought she was being kidnapped

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Police report that a tragic incident occurred when a woman mistakenly believed she was being kidnapped and fatally shot her Uber driver in West Texas. The accused, Phoebe Copas, is currently in custody in El Paso, Texas, facing murder charges related to the death of Daniel Piedra Garcia, a 52-year-old Uber driver.

Copas, a 48-year-old resident of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, had been visiting her boyfriend in El Paso when the shooting took place on June 16. As Piedra was driving Copas to a destination in the southeastern part of the city, she noticed traffic signs indicating “Juarez, Mexico,” as El Paso is situated along the U.S.-Mexico border across from Juarez.

Mistakenly believing that she was being abducted and taken to Mexico, Copas allegedly retrieved a handgun from her purse and shot Piedra in the head. The vehicle subsequently crashed into barriers before coming to a halt on a freeway. It is important to note that the crash site was not near any bridge, port of entry, or immediate access point to travel into Mexico, as stated in the arrest affidavit.

Authorities revealed that there is no evidence supporting the occurrence of a kidnapping or any deviation from Copas’s intended destination. After the shooting, Copas reportedly took a photograph of Piedra’s injured state and sent it to her boyfriend before calling emergency services.

Piedra was hospitalized for several days, but his family made the difficult decision to withdraw life support after receiving medical advice that he would not recover. Described as a hardworking and humorous individual, Piedra was the sole provider for his family and had recently resumed work after being injured in his previous job.

Copas, currently held on a $1.5 million bond, initially faced charges of aggravated assault. However, following Piedra’s passing, the charges were elevated to murder. The family of the victim has set up a GoFundMe campaign, seeking justice for Piedra and expressing their desire for a peaceful resolution. Didi Lopez, Piedra’s niece, expressed her wish that Copas had sought clarification rather than acting impulsively, acknowledging the irreversible damage caused to both families involved.

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• Woman fatally shoots Uber driver, mistakenly believing she was being kidnapped
• Kentucky woman accused of fatally shooting Uber driver
• Phoebe Copas charged with murder in shooting death of Uber driver
• GoFundMe campaign for Daniel Piedra Garcia’s family