MIAMI – A rideshare driver kidnapped from Texas and forced to drive across several states managed to seek safety at a South Florida dollar store as his or her captor planned a second abduction, authorities say. The man who officials said carjacked the victim at gunpoint at a Dallas-area gas station would be captured in Broward County later that day.
The 23-year-old suspect, Miguel Pastran Hernandez, is now facing three federal charges. He appeared in Miami federal court on Tuesday.
According to court documents obtained by Local 10 News on Wednesday, the victim’s ordeal would begin with what appeared to be a simple pickup.
The victim, working in Arlington, Texas for an unnamed rideshare application, picked up “Alex,” who was actually Pastran Hernandez, just before 10:30 p.m. on Friday, authorities said.
An FBI special agent wrote that Pastran Hernandez ordered a ride to a closed gas station. When he and the driver arrived, authorities said Pastran Hernandez pulled out a gun and the victim heard the sound of a round being chambered.
The victim, whose gender wasn’t specified in the court documents, offered up his or her possessions and Pastran threatened to tie him or her up and put him or her in the back of the vehicle, agents said.
The driver, authorities said, “pleaded” with Pastran Hernandez to allow him or her or to drive “in order to flee if given the opportunity.”
Pastran Hernandez then ordered the victim to drive to Florida, authorities said; on Saturday morning, as they drove through Louisiana, Pastran Hernandez told the victim to call his or her children and pretend to be on a business trip to avoid any suspicion.
The court documents state that Pastran Hernandez also took possession of a gun the victim had in the car.
Authorities said Pastran Hernandez ordered the victim to drive to the Miami area and the pair arrived in Florida Saturday evening.
The court document states that on Sunday, Pastran Hernandez ordered the driver to head to Miami Beach. That’s when agents said Pastran Hernandez “surveilled an additional potential victim,” saying he planned to kidnap that victim and hold him or her for a $3 million ransom.
On Monday, authorities said Pastran Hernandez made the victim drive to a Dollar General in Hialeah to buy supplies for the second, would-be kidnapping. While the specific store isn’t identified in court documents, sources tell Local 10 News it was the chain’s location at 7800 W. 33rd Ave., just south of Interstate 75.
The victim, they said, was able to hide in the bathroom and police made their way to the location. Authorities said Pastran Hernandez ran away from the store and police located him three hours later in Hollywood, where they said he would try to run away again.
“Law enforcement observed (Pastran Hernandez) attempting to remove a cross-body bag as he was fleeing,” the court documents states. “Inside of that bag, law enforcement found a blue 9mm handgun, matching the description provided by (the victim) and identified...as (his or her) firearm. The firearm was loaded and had a bullet in the chamber.”
During an interview following his capture, authorities said Pastran Hernandez “admitted that he had ordered a ride share in Texas and had kidnapped (the driver) at gunpoint.”
Pastran Hernandez also admitted to making the victim drive to Florida and that the driver “was not free to leave.”
Authorities said he also admitted to stealing the victim’s gun. The court documents don’t state where Pastran Hernandez resides or whether he has any connections to South Florida.
During his appearance in Miami federal court Tuesday on charges of kidnapping, carjacking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, a magistrate judge granted prosecutors’ request to hold Pastran Hernandez pending a pretrial detention hearing.
That hearing is scheduled for Monday. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Local 10 News reporter Liane Morejon contributed to this report.