A man is facing federal charges after allegedly kidnapping a rideshare driver in Texas at gunpoint and forcing the victim to drive to South Florida, where he planned to kidnap a second person and hold them hostage for a $3 million ransom, according to court records.
The driver shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday picked up Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez in the Arlington, Texas, area and drove him to a gas station that was listed as the destination in the rideshare app, according to a criminal complaint filed in South Florida federal court Tuesday. The driver’s name and gender are not included in the complaint.
Pastran Hernandez and the driver arrived at the gas station, which had closed. The victim then heard the click of a gun being chambered, the complaint said. The driver tried to offer Pastran Hernandez the belongings in the car, but Pastran Hernandez threatened to tie up the driver and put him or her in the back of the car.
The victim then pleaded with Pastran Hernandez to be able to drive, thinking to flee if there was a chance, according to the complaint. Pastran Hernandez ordered the victim to drive at the speed limit toward Florida and said he had guns hidden in his suitcases.
The victim drove through the night with Pastran Hernandez. About 11 a.m. the next morning as they were driving through Louisiana, Pastran Hernandez ordered the driver to call his or her children and say the victim was on a long trip for work so they would not be suspicious, the complaint said.
Somewhere along the drive, Pastran Hernandez found that the driver had a 9mm handgun in the car and took both the gun and ammunition for the rest of the journey, the complaint said.
By Saturday evening, they arrived in Florida, and Pastran Hernandez ordered the victim to drive to Miami Beach on Sunday, where he “surveilled” another possible victim, the complaint said. He told the driver he planned to kidnap that person for a $3 million ransom.
The driver was still with Pastran Hernandez by Monday, when he forced the victim to drive to a Dollar General in Hialeah to buy supplies for the intended second kidnapping, according to the complaint. There, the driver hid in a bathroom and Pastran Hernandez took the car keys.
Officers arrived at the store, and Pastran Hernandez ran away, the complaint said. They found him about three hours later in Hollywood, and he unsuccessfully attempted to flee again. Officers saw him trying to remove a cross-body bag he was wearing, which held the driver’s gun that had one bullet loaded in the chamber.
Pastran Hernandez after he was detained admitted to the kidnapping, the complaint said.
Federal court records show he is facing one count of kidnapping, one count of carjacking and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday morning in Miami.
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