A 16-year-old girl has been charged with first-degree murder in the brutal hacking of an Illinois Uber driver. According to reports, Eliza Wasani stole a machete and knife from a local Walmart before ordering the car service and stabbing her unsuspecting victim, 34-year-old Grant Nelson to death.
During a hearing Wednesday, (May 31) prosecutors say Wasani entered the vehicle shortly after 3AM and and then began stabbing the driver while she was in the backseat. Nelson was able to pull over and run into a nearby building in which witnesses say he screamed “Help me, help me! I’m going to die!” before someone called for help.
As Nelson screamed, Wasani jumped into the driver seat and drove off. She then crashed into a median and fled the scene on foot. Police say Wasani was found crouching behind a nearby air conditioner holding both weapons, and a taser was used before she was taken into custody.
Nelson’s family spoke with a local news outlet, still in disbelief their loved one was killed at random. “He was not a vindictive person,” Nelson’s sister Alex told NBC in Chicago. “He was not a cruel person. He didn’t deserve this fate.”
After following a pool of blood, authorities would later find Nelson lying in grass. He would die a few hours later at a hospital.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our partners,” Uber said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”