A passenger using the ride-sharing app Lyft fatally stabbed his pregnant driver and her unborn child in Phoenix on Sunday.
Fabian Durazo, 20, was arrested on Sunday morning after he was caught with the victim’s car, AZ Central reports. He had ordered a Lyft ride, and when driver Kristina Howato arrived at the directed location, Durazo began stabbing her, first while inside the vehicle, and then outside, according to AZ Central. Durazo then fled with the vehicle.
A little after 1a.m. on Sunday, police responded to calls about a woman screaming in a parking lot. Both she and the unborn child were pronounced dead after they were taken to the hospital. Howato, 39, was in the last two months of her pregnancy and left behind two other children, ages two and four.
Her SUV had GPS tracking, and Durazo was soon located and arrested by members from La Paz County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Public Safety. The sheriff’s office did not respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comments as of this posting.
The dangers of ride-sharing apps have been in the news largely due to the threats faced by customers, but little is said of drivers, especially women, being at risk too. In May, a Detroit woman founded an app that records passengers for the safety of drivers.
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According to AZ Central, Lyft said in a statement that they were “shocked and deeply saddened to learn of this tragedy.” “The safety of the Lyft community is our top priority,” the statement further said. “The passenger’s account has been permanently deactivated and we are actively assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Durazo is being held on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of vehicle theft, one count of armed robbery, and one count of kidnapping, according to AZ Central.
