An Ohio man has been charged with murder after he admitted to shooting an Uber driver who had been tricked by a scammer to pick up a package at his home.
According to Mail Online, the fatal incident took place in the town of South Charleston on March 25 at around 11:25am.
William Brock, 81, told police he had been receiving fraudulent phone calls from scammers demanding money and had been threatened by them in the weeks running up to the altercation.
One of the suspected scammers reportedly messaged Uber delivery driver Letha Hall, 61, through the app to tell her to pick up a package at Brock’s home.
Hall showed up at Brock’s home and according to police, ‘made no threats or assaults’ toward him and just asked about the package. Scared for his life, Brock brought out a gun and demanded she identify who had sent her.
Brock also allegedly took her phone and wouldn’t let her leave, though he never dialled 911 or called for help, police said.
Hall tried to get back to her car when Brock shot her. Afterwards, Hall can be heard screaming in pain, while Brock threatens to ‘shoot the other leg.’
There was apparently a ‘scuffle’ between the two, during which Brock asked Hall who she worked for, then he shot her again and then a third time after a ‘further exchange.’
She was shot in the upper left side of her torso, one to the upper front of her left leg, one on the inside of her left knee, and one in the centre mass of her sternum.
Hall was taken to a local hospital but died while undergoing surgery, authorities said.
Brock, who himself suffered injuries to his head and ear, only called 911 after he had shot Hall.
He told deputies – ‘without being asked’ as they put it – that Hall was there to ‘take [my] money.’
Brock said that Hall attacked him after he shot her by slamming his head into the door of her car and then tried to escape, so he shot her again, thinking she was going to get a gun of her own.
‘He provided he didn’t want to shoot her but he thought she was going to kill him,’ the incident report said.
Brock is being charged with murder because he didn’t call 911 and because there was ‘no active threat presented by Ms Hall at any time during the encounter.’
He posted a $200,000 bond but could face further charges after the incident is investigated further.
