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EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A Kentucky woman has been accused of fatally shooting her Uber driver after mistakenly believing she was being kidnapped & taken to Mexico.
Phoebe Copas remained jailed Sunday in El Paso, Texas, after being charged with murder last week in the death of 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia.
The shooting took place on June 16 as Piedra was driving Copas to southeast El Paso. Copas, who is from Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was in El Paso visiting her boyfriend.
During the ride, Copas saw traffic signs that read “Juarez, Mexico.” El Paso is located on the U.S.-Mexico border across from Juarez.
Believing she was being kidnapped & taken to Mexico, Copas is accused of grabbing a handgun from her purse & shooting Piedra in the head. The vehicle crashed into barriers before coming to a stop on a freeway.
“The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ destination,” police said.
Police allege that before she called 911, Copas took a photo of Piedra after the shooting and texted it to her boyfriend.
Piedra was hospitalized for several days before his family took him off life support after doctors told them he would not recover.
“He was a hardworking man & really funny,” Piedra’s niece, Didi Lopez, said. “I wish she would’ve spoken up, asked questions, not acted on impulse and make a reckless decision, because not only did she ruin our lives, but she ruined her life, too. We just want justice for him. That’s all we’re asking.”
Copas, who is being held on a $1.5 million bond, was originally charged with aggravated assault. The charge was upgraded to murder after Piedra died.
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