Los Angeles

Man Attempts to Lure Teen into Car With Offer of Free Ride-Share

Uber determined the car is not registered in its system and is "not an Uber car," spokesman Andrew Hasbun stated in an email.

Police are investigating a possible attempted kidnapping in which a man posing as a ride-share driver attempted to lure a teen into his car with an offer of a free ride.

The incident occurred on Aug. 10 early in the evening at the edge of a Northridge mini-mall and was captured on video by a passerby who said he was alarmed by what he heard the man saying. The passerby proceeded to stop to intercede. The video was posted on Facebook and has been viewed thousands of times.

The 17-year-old girl named Sarah -- whose mother approved her sharing her account with NBC4 -- said she had just left the gym and was walking to catch a bus near Reseda Boulevard and Nordhoff Street when the a Toyota pulled into a parking spot along the walkway with the driver calling to her.

"He said, 'Hey beautiful, like, I'm an Uber driver and I can offer you a free ride,'" Sarah recalled of the interaction.

Passerby Adam Kurpjuweit also heard the man, and concerned, pulled into the adjacent parking spot, urging Sarah not to get into the car, and challenging the man's credentials, Kurpjuweit said. 

"Where's your tags? Where's your Uber stuff?" Kurpjuweit can be heard demanding on the video.

"None of your (expletive) business," the man in the car can be heard replying, as he continued to insist he's an Uber driver but not then on duty, which is why he did not have credentials with him.

After an exchange of two minutes, the man drove off. The car had Texas plates and appeared to be a rental according to Kurpjuweit.

Initially, no police report was filed.

Tuesday, a detective at LAPD's Devonshire Station was assigned to investigate after the video came to the LAPD's attention, said Det. Lt. Tim Torsney.

Uber determined the car is not registered in its system and is "not an Uber car," spokesman Andrew Hasbun stated in an email. 

In Los Angeles, ride-share logos must be "clearly displayed in the front and rear windows of the vehicle." Uber drivers are not allowed to solicit riders but, instead, are dispatched through the app, which provides the rider the driver's name and make and model of the vehicle.

Kurpjuweit described himself as a protective father, and said it was instinctive to intercede when he saw and heard what he did.

Sarah, a student of martial arts, said she felt in control of the situation and never had any intention of getting into the car but was grateful to Kurpjuweit for getting involved.

"I think that's a great thing that everyone should do," she said.

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