Authorities say he and the driver were victims of ascam.
An 81-year-old Ohio man has been charged with murder after shooting an Uber driver, thinking she was trying to rob him. The victim, identified as Loletha Hall, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds near 81-year-old William Brock’s South Charleston home on March 25.
According to BBC, the incident happened when Hall was sent via the Uber app to the elderly man’s home to pick up a package for delivery. When she arrived, Mr. Brock threatened her with a gun and asked who she worked for. He took her cell phone and prevented her from getting into the vehicle and leaving.
“When she tried to run away, he shot her once, and then there was more exchange between them. At some point, Brock was wounded in the head and shot Hall a second time. There was more talking and then he shot her a third time. Only after shooting her a third time did he contact authorities to report the incident,” said Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
NEW: 81-year-old William Brock of Ohio charged with murder after shooting and killing an Uber driver he thought was trying to scam him.
Loletha Hall, 61, died after Brock thought she was a phone scammer.
According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Brock had… pic.twitter.com/Fq0sr9OUje
-Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 15, 2024
Brock then called 911 to say he had shot someone in his home, claiming Hall had tried to rob him. She was taken to a hospital but later died from her injuries. She is survived by her 33-year-old son, Mario.
According to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, both the elderly man and the driver appeared to have been victims of fraudulent phone calls. Brock received fraudulent calls from someone posing as a police officer who eventually began making threats and demanding money, authorities said. Ms. Hall, according to authorities, was also sent to Mr. Brock’s home by a scammer and told to pick up a package. She was unaware of the calls made to Brock, authorities said.
”Sir. Brock received a scam call from a person purporting to be someone from our courts, who informed him that a family member was in jail and that he was being held on bail for a significant amount of money. The calls went from ‘I’m a court officer’ to ‘We have this guy hostage, this is a ransom demand,” Shultz added.
Brock faces murder charges, with a potential sentence of 15 years to life in prison. He was released from the Clark County Jail after posting $200,000 bail.
Uber said on Wednesday it was in contact with authorities and committed to supporting the investigation.
“This is a horrible tragedy and our hearts go out to Loletha’s loved ones as they grieve. We have contacted authorities and remain committed to supporting their investigation,” said an Uber spokesperson. USA TODAY on Monday.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
