UPDATE: A family member spoke with KTSM, saying that Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support on Wednesday, June 21.
Piedra’s family will be holding a vigil for him this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Park, 1701 N. Copia St.
“We know the community feels for us and is with us so whoever would like to join us is more than welcome to,” Didi Lopez said.
ORIGINAL POST: EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The family of the Uber driver allegedly shot by his passenger on U.S. 54 on Friday, June 16, say they knew something was wrong when their loved one didn’t make it home for dinner that night.
“29 years of marriage and he would always worry for us, provide for us, for him and I,” said Ana Maria Piedra, the wife of the Uber driver.
According to the El Paso Police Department, 52-year-old Daniel Piedra Garcia, an Uber driver from El Paso, was shot by his passenger. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
His family says he is brain dead and they are hoping for a miracle.
Phoebe Copas, 48, from Kentucky, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Police said at one point during the drive she thought she was being taken to Mexico.
The shooting happened on U.S. 54 near Loop 375 near the Bridge of the Americas. Police say Piedra had picked up Copas in West El Paso and was driving her to her destination in the Lower Valley.
Police say the investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas’ intended destination.
“He’s not a criminal or a kidnapper like people are streaming on the Internet. It’s so easy to go make your assumptions and just make up scenarios. But that’s not who he is. He’s a hardworking man. He’s the sole provider for Leo and my aunt,” said Didi Lopez, the niece of Piedra.
Lopez says her family has been hearing gossip on the Internet about her uncle, about kidnapping and language barriers.
“I know that people are also saying that there was a language barrier. There was not a language barrier. My uncle spoke English,” Lopez said.
The family of Piedra says he started driving for Uber in May and enjoyed the job and meeting new people.
KTSM 9 News reached out to Uber about the shooting and they sent us the following statement.
“We are horrified by the rider’s actions. Violence is not tolerated on the Uber platform and we banned the rider as soon as we were made aware of what occurred. Our thoughts are with Mr. Garcia and his loved ones, and we are working to get in touch with him and his family. Our Public Safety Team stands at the ready to assist police as needed,” read the statement from an Uber spokesperson.
Copas was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility under a $1 million bond.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with Piedra’s hospital expenses. Click here to find out more.