A disturbing dashcam video released Wednesday by the Allegheny County police in Pennsylvania shows the moment an Uber rider pulled a gun on the driver.
The video was shown in court at a preliminary hearing before District Judge Kevin Cooper Jr., who ultimately ruled that the charges against the suspect will stick.
According to KSLA News 12, the incident happened on February 11, when suspect Calvin Crew got into Christi Spicuzza’s Uber and pointed a gun at her, with the intention of robbing her. Dashcam video showed Crew pulling the gun around 18 minutes into the ride while pulling Spicuzza’s ponytail.
Crew then reportedly grabbed Spicuzza’s dashcam and turned it off, but footage taken of him getting into the car and pointing the gun at Spicuzza had already been captured.
“She tried to reason with him and tried to plead to his humanity,” said detective Laurie McKeel with Allegheny County Homicide.
Spicuzza reached back and felt the gun. “You’ve got to be joking,” Spicuzza said after the suspect put a gun to her head.
Although she told Crew she had a family, he ordered her to keep driving, claiming he had a family as well.
“I’m begging you, I have four kids,” she said, asking him to please put the gun down.
“Complete the trip,” he said, keeping the gun barrel at her neck. “Do what I say, and everything will be all right,” Crew said.
Almost 24 hours later, investigators found the body of the 38-year-old mother of four in a wooded part of Monroeville. She had been shot in the back of the head.
Police arrested Crew shortly after and charged him with criminal homicide, robbery, and tampering with evidence, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
Police said they tracked Spicuzza’s last fare to Crew’s girlfriend, 22-year-old Tanaya Mullen, because it was ordered via her Uber account. According to the complaint, at one point Mullen sent Crew a text message that said she was “not going to jail if we get caught,” although officials declined to comment on the message.
According to the complaint, detectives are considering whether the gun used to kill Spicuzza was actually Mullen’s gun: She told investigators her handgun had disappeared after a birthday party, but she also told police that Crew had tried to borrow the gun without putting “it in words.” She also told police she believed Crew had the gun.
In his police interview, Crew acknowledged taking the Uber but said he got out and walked to a bus station, then took a bus to his girlfriend’s apartment.
However, police said surveillance video doesn’t support that story, and he is not seen getting onto a bus from any station.
Crew remains behind bars without bond. Check back for updates.
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[Featured Photo: Uber Dashcam SS]
