Uber driver helps catch car thief after sale gone wrong
MILWAUKEE, Wi. (WOFL FOX 35) - An Uber driver caught a thief after a man hoping to close a deal on his car ends up the victim of a robbery.
It was supposed to be a normal car sale for mechanic Patrick Berry when he met up with 20-year-old Kumasi Wallace after he responded to a Craigslist ad.
"He says, 'Can I look underneath the hood?' and I said 'Sure,'" Berry said.
But he quickly realized there would be no sale.
"He scared the heck out of me and just took off," Berry said.
Berry tried chasing after the stolen vehicle but lost sight.
On his way to the police station, he got a phone call with somebody asking where he was.
“I said 'I was just trying to sell a car here.'"
It turns out Berry wasn't the only person looking for Wallace.
An Uber driver called Berry thinking he was the suspect.
Investigators say Wallace had given the driver Berry's number, but made a big mistake giving the drive his actual name.
Police found Berry's stolen vehicle a block from Wallace's home where the suspect was later arrested.
“I was thankful the police were able to do this and catch this guy and stop him from stealing other cars," Berry said.
Berry says he's learned a lot from the experience, hoping others will too.
“It is a lesson learned for me. I will never do it again."
Police were also able to connect Wallace to another car theft. If convicted he faces up to 12 years behind bars.