According to police in Michigan, a 42-year-old man took an Uber to a bank and had the driver wait for him while he robbed the establishment. Following the robbery, the suspect, identified as Jason Christmas, returned to his apartment in the same Uber, according to FOX 2.
Police said they went to Huntington Bank on November 17 after receiving a robbery report. According to police, the suspect who robbed the bank took an Uber to the location and told the driver to wait before entering the bank to commit the alleged crime. Police also stated that the Uber driver had no idea what Christmas was up to at the time of the incident.
“This is a very unusual way to commit an armed robbery in our city,” Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said.
Following the robbery, Christmas took the same Uber back to his apartment. Police eventually tracked him down and apprehended him. Bodycam footage of the suspect’s arrest was also obtained. A police officer is heard in the video asking Christmas if he had been shot after noticing he was stained with “red stuff.” The red substance was said to be dye packs mixed into the money given to him by the bank during the robbery. The money given to the suspect was also stained by the red dye. The stolen money was recovered from his pockets by police.
After identifying the vehicle’s license plate on the bank’s surveillance video, police were able to locate and arrest the Uber driver. The driver, on the other hand, was not involved in the robbery. He also had no idea Christmas was holding up the bank, according to FOX 2.
“Anytime you get a ride-share, your identity is shared with the driver who in turn, can share with law enforcement,” said Barren. Police eventually pieced together the evidence and arrested Christmas outside his apartment. “He had the same clothes on as the robbery which was covered in red dye,” Barren said.
The red dye stained both the money and the backseat of the Uber driver’s car. Although Barren stated that they had not determined the motivation behind Christmas’ actions, he stated that these illegal incidents occur around this time of year.
“There is a lot of anxiousness to buy gifts for your loved ones,” Barren said. “This is that time of year when individuals try to take advantage of our community and commit these types of crimes.”
Christmas has been charged with bank robbery. His bond was set at $500,000 cash as well. In terms of why he chose an Uber for the robbery, authorities stated that Christmas’ license had been suspended, and he had reservations about driving as a result.