CLAYTON, Mo. – A call for an Uber ride turned frightening after police said the rider carjacked the driver and held him at gunpoint.
Now, 18-year-old Dejohn Colbert is facing felony charges and several years behind bars. Colbert is being held at the county jail on a $200,000 cash-only bond.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell said the bond amount shows the seriousness of this crime.
“He was picking up what he thought to be a passenger like a normal business day, and he was robbed and hijacked,” Bell said.
Florissant police said Colbert and another person ordered an Uber. Once inside the car, police said Colbert held the driver at gunpoint and demanded his phone, wallet, and keys.
“When someone aims a gun at someone’s head, neck, or any part of their body and takes their property in that kind of way,” Bell said. “Anything can happen, and we won’t tolerate that. We’re going to prosecute those cases aggressively.”
Officers said Colbert crashed the victim’s car after leading police on a chase.
A spokesperson for Uber said in a statement:
“What the driver reports is terrifying, and we’ve been in touch with him. We are grateful for the actions of investigators in this case and stand ready to assist them with their investigation. The rider accounts have been banned.”
Bell said his office is taking this very seriously. He said Colbert could be looking at spending the next 30 years in jail.
“He has a right to a fair trial. But at the end of the day, we have to hold individuals accountable, and as we see an uptick in cases like this, it’s scary,” Bell said.