A Lyft driver has been arrested after an incident involving a Starbucks employee in Homestead. According to a report by Local 10 News, the driver, identified as Wadson Desir, 46, is facing charges of false imprisonment and stalking. The woman, who had used the Lyft service as part of a company partnership for a free ride home from work, was allegedly taken off course and held in the vehicle against her will.
On the evening of May 9, Desir reportedly veered from the intended route, taking the victim down a secluded dirt road. The Lyft app alerted the passenger to the route deviation, prompting advice to contact authorities if she felt unsafe. As per the arrest report obtained by Local 10 News, when the woman confronted Desir about the diversion, he simply laughed and dismissed it as a “wrong turn.” Subsequently, the driver locked the doors and demanded the woman’s cellphone, only releasing her after he used it to save his own number. Although she blocked his number immediately after the incident, it didn’t stop Desir from reappearing at her workplace days later and signaling to her with his phone, leading to the store closing its lobby for safety reasons.
Further exacerbating the situation, NBC Miami reports that Desir returned to the Starbucks on multiple occasions following the incident. The coffee shop’s employees were so concerned for their colleague’s safety, they decided to shut down the store early each time he appeared. Desir’s unwelcome visits continued until he was detained by Homestead Police Department officers at the same location. His bond was set at $3,000 at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center…