A ride-share ordeal in East County on Sunday evening saw a Lyft driver allegedly kidnapped by a passenger. According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the Sheriff's Communications Center received a distressing "Text to 9-1-1" from a woman claiming she was being held against her will. The message indicated that she was forced to drive to a dispensary on Harris Street in Lemon Grove after picking up the suspect in Spring Valley.
Authorities swiftly coordinated a response, locating the driver's vehicle at the specified destination. Upon arrival, deputies observed a struggle unfolding inside the vehicle and were able to intervene swiftly. The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Shane Capezio, was detained by deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation and the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station. Thankfully, the driver was found not to have been seriously harmed during the ordeal.
The subsequent investigation by law enforcement revealed that the threat of a gun was a false one, as no weapon was found on Capezio. The suspect, born April 30, 2002, is now facing several charges, including kidnapping, robbery, false imprisonment, dissuading a victim, and preventing a victim from calling 9-1-1. He was consequently booked into the San Diego Central Jail.
