Round Rock Uber Driver Faked His Own Kidnapping: Police

ROUND ROCK, TX — Police accuse a Round Rock Uber driver of faking his own kidnapping and falsely telling them one of his passengers had shoved him into the trunk of his car, according to a published report.

According to an arrest affidavit referenced in an Austin American-Statesman report, police were alerted on May 31 after two people found Robert Gomez, 40, bound by duct tape in the trunk of Chevrolet Impala outside a Toys R Us store at 12901 U.S. 183 North.

Here's the tale Gomez told police: He had been working the night before when he picked up a passenger who had luggage needing to be placed in the trunk, according to the report. He was then shoved into it before being bound by his hands, feet, around the eyes and mouth with duct tape, the affidavit reads. After the car stopped, he was found by those aforementioned two people, according to the report. The car's door was open, and his keys were missing, Gomez told police.

Wait, there's more, as detailed in the affidavit: When police secured permission to search Gomez's phone, they found videos he made narrating the events he said had happened to him while the car was supposedly in motion and he in the trunk, bound with duct tape, according to the report. The videos Gomez managed to somehow record — despite the disadvantage of being duct-taped at the time — were pitch black, according to the affidavit, save for a sliver of light emanating from the interior dashboard.

But upon investigation, the dramatic narrative unraveled. For one thing, Uber's driving history for the time he claimed the kidnapping showed no fares recorded. Then, a lone officer remaining at the scene after the initial investigation saw Gomez bend over near the front of his car before driving off. Remember he claimed to have lost the keys?

Confronted with the discrepancies in his story, Gomez eventually confessed he was trying to get the attention of family members, according to the report. He confessed he had buried the car keys in mulch near his vehicle for easy retrieval, the affidavit details.

But the false report had real-world consequences. Several hours were spent in investigating the case among patrol officers, detectives from two separate unites, crime scene personnel and emergency services, the Statesman reported.

Gomez undoubtedly got the attention he sought from family members he had sought. But he also went to jail before being released after posting $10,000. He was charged with false alarm or report, which is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

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