Police: Man arrested for abducting Tennessee Uber driver
Published 11:43 am Thursday, May 14, 2020
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COHUTTA, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Florida said they arrested a Tennessee man accused of abducting an Uber driver, who jumped out of the moving car in Georgia.
Christopher C. Miller of Cleveland, Tenn., was arrested Monday and charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment, hijacking a motor vehicle, aggravated assault and possession of a knife, news outlets reported.
Miller was wanted in the abduction of 26-year-old Carolina Vargas, who was forced to drive from Tennessee to Georgia at knifepoint, authorities said.
Last week, Vargas picked Miller up in Nashville during an Uber trip and drove him to a Cleveland hotel, Cohutta police in Georgia said.
Miller told Vargas his semitrailer broke down in Nashville and he asked her to drive him back to his truck Friday, which she agreed to, police said.
During the return trip to Nashville, Miller told Vargas he knew a shorter route but when Vargas questioned Miller, he pulled a knife and hit her in the ribs, forcing her to continue driving into Georgia, police said.
On the highway in Cohutta, about 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Cleveland, Vargas jumped from her car while driving about 55 miles per hour (90 kilometers per hour), police said. Vargas hit the pavement and sustained several serious injuries but was expected to recover, police said.
Miller fled in Vargas’ car and was later captured by authorities in Jacksonville.
An Uber representative told WTVF-TV that the incident was not an Uber trip and Miller did not use the Uber app for the return trip.
It’s unclear when Miller will be extradited to Georgia. It’s also unclear whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
