*This story has been updated to include comments from Upper Darby Police Department Superintendent Mike Chitwood
A man who may have been driving for a car-share service allegedly abducted and robbed a Havertown woman early Wednesday morning after picking her up in the Gayborhood.
Upper Darby Police said 31-year-old Brittney Lough ordered a Lyft around 4 a.m. on the 1200 block St. James Street, in the city’s Gayborhood, before she went missing. Police located the victim hours later and she was safe and uninjured.
According to reports, police said Lough was out celebrating her sister’s 21st birthday. Upper Darby Police Department Superintendent Mike Chitwood told PGN Wednesday afternoon that the two women went to LGBT bars Woody’s and Voyeur prior to the alleged abduction. Michael Weiss, who operates Voyeur and Woody’s, said he had not heard about the incident early Wednesday morning.
The two women used the ride-sharing app to call a driver after drinking heavily, investigators said. Police said they stopped at a Sunoco gas station on West Chester Pike in Upper Darby where the driver allegedly asked Lough’s sister to buy him water so he could take medication. She went into the store and the vehicle, with Lough inside, was gone upon her return, police said. Chitwood noted to PGN that there is surveillance footage of Lough’s sister entering and exiting the store, bottle of water in hand, but there is no footage of the driver’s car since he did not pull the car all the way into the parking lot. Lough was asleep in the backseat, Lough said.
Police said the driver took Lough’s money, phone and other valuables by force before throwing her out of the car in Northwest Philadelphia. Lough called law enforcement from a nearby 7-Eleven store and Philadelphia Police picked up and interviewed her. They returned her home later that morning, uninjured.
Chitwood said it is unclear whether the suspect was a Lyft driver or was posing as one. Meanwhile, Lyft told the Associated Press the company has “no reason to believe” one of the company’s drivers was involved since its systems do not indicate a ride matching the reported vehicle, location or time of the alleged abduction.
Philadelphia Police did not have an update on the case when PGN called.
Police describe the suspect as a black man with an accent between the ages of 25-30. His vehicle was described as a black, four-door car, possibly a Nissan.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect is encouraged to call the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS or [email protected].
*PGN will update this story as more information becomes available.