Utah Teen Jumps From Lyft Vehicle After Driver Refuses To Stop

A Disturbing Encounter: Lyft Driver Arrested

A scary situation involving a Lyft driver and teenage passenger has led to some serious criminal charges in northern Utah. Police say a 44 year old man is now facing a felony kidnapping charge after a 15 year old girl had to jump from his moving vehicle to escape.

According to the charging documents filed in 3rd District Court, Victor Manuel Montilla os South Jordan was charged with kidnapping (second-degree felony.) The incident happened on February 7th when a mother arranged for a Lyft driver to take her 15 year old daughter from West Jordan to her appointment in Salt Lake City. Investigators say that Montilla picked up the teenage girl but turned the wrong direction after leaving the apartment complex. The driver briefly pulled over, telling the teen girl that he was having issues with his phone connection.

Misleading Directions: A Ride’s Unexpected Twist

At this point, police say Montilla then told the girl that he had fixed the directions and continued to drive. However, instead of heading toward the original destinations, he began traveling in the opposite direction toward South Jordan. According to the affidavit, Montilla also canceled the Lyft ride on his phone, lied to the teen telling her that her mother had canceled it.

A Mother’s Vigilance: Monitoring the Ride

Meanwhile, the girl's mother was actually watching the ride through the app and noticed the vehicle had stopped and the ride was canceled. She quickly called her daughter and told her to exit the vehicle immediately. Investigators say the teen repeatedly asked the driver to stop the car in both English and Spanish, but he continued on driving. Fearing that she was being kidnapped, the teen girl eventually opened the door and jumped from the moving vehicle. Police say the incident happened less than a mile away from the pickup spot, and only about three minutes after she entered the car.

Desperate Measures: The Teen’s Brave Escape

Montilla later admitted to canceling the ride, while the teen was still inside the vehicle but claimed he was searching for a place to pull over. However, authorities say he passed multiple side streets where he could have safely stopped. This case remains under investigation!