Kidnapped teen woke up in strange home after Uber driver gave him a drink, TX cops say

A 16-year-old boy taking a ride out of town says he was offered a drink by his Uber driver and later woke up kidnapped inside a strange home, Texas authorities say.

The San Patricio County Sheriff’s Office says the teenager had requested Uber services for a ride from Portland to Rockport, about 22 miles away.

When the Uber driver picked the teen up, he says the man gave him a drink, according to an April 11 Facebook post from Sheriff Oscar Rivera. The teen fell asleep and woke up at a home in Sinton, about 20 miles away from Portland and in the opposite direction of Rockport.

After the teen woke up, Rivera says he walked to a nearby home to call for help.

Investigators responded and verified the boy had been kidnapped on April 8, according to the post.

“We are appalled by the reported details of this driver’s actions,” an Uber spokesperson told McClatchy News. “His access to the Uber platform was removed as soon as our ongoing background screening technology picked up the charges, and we are committed to helping law enforcement on their investigation.”

Authorities obtained a search warrant for the home, Rivera said, and the 44-year-old Uber driver was identified.

The driver, of Sinton, has since been arrested on an indecency with a child charge, officials said, and he was booked into jail on a $75,000 bond.

Officials did not say what was in the drink or if it caused the boy to fall asleep.

Sinton is about 30 miles north of Corpus Christi in southeast Texas.

This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Kidnapped teen woke up in strange home after Uber driver gave him a drink, TX cops say."