Tampa Bay, Florida – A DoorDash delivery driver was kidnapped by a man as she tried to make a delivery on Tuesday. The kidnapper then forced the woman to drive to another location where he raped her, Tampa police reported Thursday night.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that the incident began about 11 p.m. Tuesday as the woman, who is in her early 20s, was trying to make a delivery at the Residence Inn, 4312 W. Boy Scout Blvd. As she walked to the hotel, a man with a gun forced her back into her car. The woman at the time had AirPods in her ears and was talking on an open line with her girlfriend, who “quickly realized that a robbery was occurring,” Tampa police said in a news release.
The delivery driver’s family members called police, who were dispatched to the hotel. The kidnapper forced the woman at gunpoint to drive to the Belara Lakes Apartments, 8402 N. Waterford Ave., where he raped her, police said.
Meanwhile, the woman’s family had been tracking her phone and arrived at the apartment complex, where they rescued her from the car. The kidnapper then fired multiple times at them, striking a family member of the delivery driver’s girlfriend, police said.
Both victims were taken to a hospital with injuries that police said were not life threatening.
The kidnapper fled the scene. Police released a composite image of the man and described him as a Black man in his late 20s or early 30s who stood about 6-foot 2-inches tall and had a thin build and facial hair.
”It is clear this suspect has no regard for human life,” interim police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement. “Detectives are actively gathering evidence in an effort to quickly identify and apprehend him. I am urging anyone who may have seen or heard something nearby to please call us with those details, no matter how minimal they may seem to be. It could be the information we need to arrest this criminal before he’s able to hurt another member of our community.”
Anyone with information about the incident or who recognizes the man from the composite image can call Tampa police at (813) 231-6130 or can share a tip via Tip411, which is accessible through the TampaPD app.
Those who wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward can contact Crimestoppers of Tampa Bay by calling 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), visit www.CrimeStoppersTB.com or use the free Crime Stoppers mobile app and selecting “Tampa.”
