An Ohio man, 81, has been charged with the fatal shooting of an Uber driver. Officials stated that the man believed the driver was collaborating with a scammer, and it was the scammer who had sent the victim to the man’s home.
According to Lt. Kristopher Shultz of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, William Brock admitted to shooting Loletha Hall, 61, outside his home on March 25. He claimed that he believed Hall was collaborating with a man who had posed as a court officer during a phone call.
According to Shultz, Mr. Brock fell victim to a scam call from someone pretending to be from the courts. The caller claimed that a family member was in jail and needed a large sum of money for bail. As the conversation progressed, the scammer changed tactics and started making ransom demands, stating that they had the family member hostage.
According to Shultz, the individual who contacted Brock, or someone working with them, asked for an Uber to be requested in order to collect the money from his residence in South Charleston.
“He added that Ms. Hall had no idea.”
According to the sheriff’s office and a complaint filed in Clark County Municipal Court, Hall did not threaten Brock, possess a weapon, or assault him. The complaint states that she was taken to a hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
Uber has reached out to Hall’s family, according to a statement.
“Our hearts go out to Loletha’s loved ones as they mourn this terrible tragedy,” expressed an Uber spokesperson. “We have been in touch with the authorities and are fully dedicated to assisting with their ongoing investigation.”
According to an Uber spokesperson, the individual who placed the car request to Brock’s residence has had their account banned. The authorities have not yet disclosed the identity of the person who made the request, nor have they provided information regarding any further arrests made in relation to this incident.
Brock faced serious charges in a grand jury presentation on Monday. According to Shultz, he was indicted on three counts of murder, one count of felonious assault, and one count of kidnapping. The arraignment for these charges is scheduled for later this week.
It remains unclear if he has legal representation at this time.
Brock initially faced a murder charge in the Municipal Court of Clark County last Wednesday. He managed to secure his release by posting a $200,000 bond. If found guilty of this charge, he could be sentenced to 15 years to life in prison or face a $15,000 fine.
