WASHINGTON β A rideshare driver is banged up and shaken after he says his car was stolen from him in front of Union Station. It happened Thursday night.
Carlos, who asked WUSA9 not to use his full name out of concern for his safety, says he was working for Lyft at the time. He had just pulled up to Union Station to pick up a passenger and got out of the car to try and help her put her luggage in the trunk.
"All of a sudden I saw the car moving and thought I left the car unlocked," said Carlos.
He told WUSA9 he quickly ran to the front of the car and pulled on the door handle, but it was locked.
"All of a sudden I realized there was somebody there," said Carlos.
He says there was another car in front of them, but as that car pulled off, the woman inside his car, also took off.
"I was practically dragged on the ground and I'm bruised here, my knees, my elbow," said Carlos.
He told WUSA9 inside the car was $1,200 cash, that he was planning to take to the bank.
"The money that was there was to help for my mortgage," he said.
He has not had an easy go in the past couple of years. In March he battled some serious health issues. In August, part of his finger had to be amputated after an accident while working outside, ending his decades-long career in the healthcare industry, where he mostly worked with the elderly and people with disabilities.
What made things even worse, he said, is when police told him these 'hop-in' car thefts are a frequent occurrence at Union Station.
"The officer told me, that this same incident happens once every day," said Carlos.
He wiped away tears as he told WUSA9 that this was too much.
"The minute I try to be strong and get up, something happens. They say it happens once every day and I was the one yesterday," said Carlos.
To the person who stole his car and his hard-earned money.
"I would say to her, lady wrong you picked the wrong guy. At least the Robin Hood was robbing the rich for the poor. You robbed the poor for the poor," he said.
Carlos has now launched a GoFundMe Page to try and help ease some of the burdens he's facing. At the same time, he told WUSA9 he has no choice but to return to driving for rideshare companies.
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