ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lyft ride turned dangerous in Orange County when the driver pulled out a handgun after passengers fled his vehicle, according to the Orlando Police Department.
Around 7 p.m. Saturday, officers arrived at Airport Liquor on TG Lee Boulevard off Semoran Boulevard in Orlando.
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According to an arrest report, Joshua Ortega, 30, was driving a Lyft under a female account name when his two passengers noticed his erratic behavior, saying Ortega was speeding, driving the wrong way and appeared impaired, smelling of alcohol and marijuana.
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The passengers asked Ortega to pull over, but he ignored them until finally stopping at a gas station, officials said. The passengers refused to pay since they never reached their destination and went inside Airport Liquor to call the police, the arrest report states.
Ortega followed them aggressively, prompting the store clerk to intervene, according to officials. Ortega then pulled out a handgun, cocked it, said, “I will kill you,” causing the passengers and the clerk to run back into the store, police said.
Witnesses confirmed Ortega’s aggressive behavior and the gun threat, authorities said.
Officers located Ortega driving in his white Ford Explorer, and he was detained after a felony stop. Police said they recovered a Taurus G3C 9mm handgun from under the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Ortega faces charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.