Two 17-year-old boys are facing criminal charges after Cleveland Heights police say they carjacked their Uber driver at gunpoint on Thursday, then led officers on a chase through suburban streets before bailing out of the stolen car near the entrance to Interstate 271. No one was injured in the incident, which police say began when the two teens robbed their driver near Lee Road and East Fairfax Road.
According to News 5 Cleveland, the two teens stole a 2014 Toyota Camry from their driver before fleeing the scene. Cleveland Heights police say the driver of the stolen car failed to comply with officers' attempted traffic stop and instead led them on a chase through the suburb, ultimately hitting a curb at the intersection of Cedar Road and Brainard Road. The chase ended near the exit to Interstate 271, where officers caught the driver of the stolen car after the two teens ran from the vehicle, per the outlet's reporting.
Police located the stolen car within seconds, according to the same account, and a neighboring police department arrested the second teen. Both boys were transported to the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center. The two are charged with aggravated robbery, failure to comply or fleeing, and obstructing official business, per police. Uber did not respond to a request for comment from News 5 investigators by deadline, the station reported.
Part of a Troubling Pattern for Rideshare Drivers
Thursday's carjacking is the latest in a series of violent incidents involving rideshare drivers in the Cleveland area this year. Two Lyft drivers were shot and killed during separate incidents in Cleveland in February, and another Uber driver was shot in the face on Cleveland's East Side in April.
The February killings drew scrutiny after prosecutors detailed how young suspects allegedly exploited the anonymity of rideshare apps. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office announced in July that 18-year-old Nashawn Jordan and 17-year-old Cameren Bradford were indicted on aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges in the February 10 shooting death of 27-year-old Lyft driver Vasyl Shvets, a Ukrainian refugee who had fled the war and settled in Cleveland. Prosecutors revealed that the teenage suspects had a juvenile in Arizona request the ride for them, a tactic that obscured their identities and made it impossible for the driver to screen his passengers, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.
Just two days before Shvets was killed, 56-year-old Lyft driver Antoine Latham was shot in the head during an attempted robbery in Cleveland's Woodland Hills neighborhood, causing his vehicle to crash into a guardrail. A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted 20-year-old Derrek Dove on aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges in that case in February, as detailed by WKYC. In April, an Uber driver was shot in the face and had his vehicle stolen after arriving at an East Side pickup location; 18-year-old DeAndre Griggs pleaded not guilty in May after being indicted for attempted murder and aggravated robbery in that shooting, WKYC also reported.
After the February killings, Lyft permanently banned the account holders involved and provided digital records and location data to police homicide investigators, according to WHIO TV. Driver groups have continued pressing rideshare platforms for stricter identity verification and safety features in the wake of the attacks.
What Happens Next for the Teen Suspects
Because the two 17-year-olds face first-degree felony charges involving aggravated robbery, Ohio law gives Cuyahoga County prosecutors the option to seek their transfer from juvenile court to adult court. Under Ohio Revised Code § 2152.12 and § 2152.10, 16- and 17-year-olds charged with Category Two felony offenses such as aggravated robbery with a firearm under ORC § 2911.01 can face statutory bindover proceedings, according to The Botnick Law Firm. Adult convictions for aggravated robbery carry mandatory prison terms, while juvenile court jurisdiction generally ends at age 21.
That mechanism is used often in Cuyahoga County. A May 2025 advisory report from the Cuyahoga County Council Advisory Subcommittee found that 75 juveniles were bound over to adult court countywide in 2023, including 29 cases involving aggravated robbery with a weapon and 27 involving murder or aggravated murder. The same report found that the average daily population at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center, where the two teens in Thursday's carjacking were taken, rose 38% between 2020 and 2023, reflecting operational pressure on local juvenile justice facilities.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors will seek bindover in this case, or whether the stolen Camry or a firearm involved are connected to other regional carjackings. The incident also follows a separate Cleveland Heights clash last month, when a 14-year-old girl assaulted two officers on Randolph Road, sending one to the hospital, amid broader city discussions over youth safety and juvenile intervention programs.
