A Mississippi Lyft driver is thankful for her life after a passenger kidnapped and robbed her at gunpoint.
via People:
Brandy Littrell was shot seven times allegedly by Dontarius Magee on Tuesday after she had picked him up from an apartment complex in Jackson and driven him to another apartment building, she told local ABC affiliate WAPT.
Once they arrived at his destination, Magee, 17, allegedly pulled out a gun and ordered Littrell, 36, to get into the back seat of her black Dodge Journey.
“He wanted my PIN number to my phone, my debit cards, and wanted to know how much money I had in the bank, and wanted to know what was in my house,” she told WAPT. “I gave him whatever he wanted because I was just trying to stay alive.”
Deputy Jackson Police Chief Deric Hearn confirmed in a press conference Wednesday that Magee was the suspect, and said that he drove Littrell to a wooded area and told her to crawl into the woods.
“He said, ‘Get on your knees.’ So, I got on my knees, and then I heard the first shot … I was trying to cover my face in case he kept shooting, which of course, he did,” Littrell recounted of the terrifying ordeal. She was ultimately shot seven times.
Littrell was left in the woods, she said, and eventually gathered up the strength to run to a nearby apartment complex for help, Hearn told CBS affiliate WJTV.
Littrell told WAPT that she was motivated to survive by fear for her family.
“It took every strength in me because, at this point, I am concerned (because) my grandmother is at my house, and I was worried he was going to go after her,” she said. “I’m just grateful my family is OK, that they were not harmed.”
Littrell was taken to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and remains there.
Magee was arrested Tuesday around 9 p.m. at his place of work, police told WJTV. He allegedly confessed to the shooting and has been charged with kidnapping, carjacking and aggravated assault. Magee will be charged as an adult. It is not clear if he has entered a plea at this time. Legal representation for Magee could not immediately be identified by PEOPLE.
“He did confess to the crime. He did confess to calling the female up for the Lyft driver,” Hearn said in a press conference Wednesday, adding that it doesn’t seem to be the first time the teenager has robbed drivers. “It is my understanding through our interview with this individual, this is not the first time this has occurred.”
Hearn and the Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In a statement to WAPT, Lyft said that Magee has been banned from using their app and they are working towards expanding safety features.
“The incident described is horrific and our hearts go out to Ms. Littrell and her loved ones. We’ve reached out to offer our support, have permanently removed the rider from the Lyft community, and stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation,” Lyft’s statement said. “We’re also exploring ways to expand the use of certain safety features and alerts to help prevent these kinds of incidents moving forward.”
Littrell’s sister has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for her medical expenses. As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $3,000 of its $5,000 goal.
That’s terrifying!
