Key takeaways:
- Phoebe D. Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was arrested on June 16th after fatally shooting her Uber driver
- Copas allegedly panicked and took a handgun from her purse after seeing road signs for Juarez
- The driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support Wednesday and Copas remains in El Paso County jail
A Kentucky woman visiting Texas has been charged with murder after fatally shooting her Uber driver out of a mistaken fear that he was kidnapping her and driving to Mexico.
Phoebe D. Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was arrested on June 16th after the driver, Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was shot in the head. Copas was initially booked on suspicion of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, but the case was upgraded to murder after the driver died this week.
According to court documents, Copas was in an Uber heading to a casino where her boyfriend planned to meet her when she allegedly saw road signs for Juarez and panicked. She then allegedly took a handgun from her purse and shot Garcia. Copas also reportedly took a photo of the scene and sent it to her boyfriend before calling 911.
The vehicle crashed into a concrete barrier after the shooting, according to local ABC news affiliate KVIA. Garcia was taken off life support Wednesday, according to his family.
Copas remains in El Paso County jail following her arrest. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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