CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Clayton County man is urging others to always use rideshare apps after he says he was stranded and had his belongings stolen by a driver he hired off the Uber platform.
Justino Noel DeJesus said the incident happened Thursday morning at a QuikTrip on Upper Riverdale Road while he was heading to the airport for a flight to Puerto Rico.
“I was actually in the process of moving to Puerto Rico to start a whole new venture in life,” DeJesus said. “I’ve literally lost everything.”
DeJesus said he originally booked a ride through the Uber app with a driver named Phil on Wednesday.
During the ride, he told the driver about his move and travel plans, and Phil offered to pick him up the next morning for a ride to the airport—off the app. DeJesus agreed.
On the way to the airport on Thursday, DeJesus said Phil stopped at the QuikTrip for gas.
“I asked him do you mind if I step out of the vehicle and get some coffee,” DeJesus said.
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He said he was inside for less than five minutes.
“I walked out the door, and there’s no vehicle,” DeJesus said.
Inside the car was DeJesus’s duffel bag, which he said held nearly all of his important belongings.
“My life’s in there. My birth certificate, my Social Security card, my wallet, my credit cards, my debit card, my medicine,” he said.
DeJesus said he called Phil several times, but his number was blocked.
A Clayton County Police Officer was getting coffee with him inside the QuikTrip, so he was able to file a police report quickly.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers also reached out to Phil. He gave a different account of what happened.
Phil claimed DeJesus got into his car with a gun, which made him feel uncomfortable.
He said he went to the gas station as a diversion to get him out of the car, then drove off and left DeJesus’s bag on a nearby corner, though he couldn’t say which one.
DeJesus denies carrying a gun.
Uber responded to the incident in a statement:
“The reported behavior is alarming, and we removed the driver’s access to the platform. We urge riders to only take trips that are requested through the Uber app.”
DeJesus said he hopes others can learn from his experience.
“Just to make sure you’re OK and to have some type of safety under your belt, use that app,” he said.
Clayton County police and Uber are continuing to investigate. Uber confirmed that off-app trips are against company policy.on
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