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Web Staff
An Uber driver based in Sacramento County was arrested and accused of kidnapping three women, the sheriff’s department said Tuesday.
Three friends called the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department in June and reported an incident involving an Uber driver, later identified as Mark Filanov, 36, of Rancho Cordova, deputies said.
The women said Filanov was driving them in south Sacramento and refused to let them out of his vehicle, officers said.
“He said, ‘OK, now you’re going to tell me the real story or we’re all going to die,’” said Theadora Fuerstenberg, who ordered the Uber ride. “None of use knew what he was talking about, obviously.”
Fuerstenberg said it was just before 9:45 p.m. when she and two friends decided to leave a Friday night book club and order an Uber.
“It was just like any other ride,” Fuerstenberg said.
She added that Filanov didn’t say much as they got into the car. But once they got onto Interstate 80, she said things got uncomfortable and then scary.
“He pointed his car at the cement divider on the freeway and said, ‘Which way?’” Fuerstenberg said. “We all said, ‘Left.’ He made us basically scream left at him.”
As they passed exit after exit, the women said they began fearing the worst.
“Katie (O’Neil) said, ‘We’re just three women who want to go home,’” Fuerstenberg said. “He said, ‘No, that’s not the real story. We’re all going to die now.’”
It was then that O’Neil dialed 911 from the backseat.
“Shortly after I got on the phone with 911 is when he took that exit that was way past our exit,” O’Neil said.
During the investigation, detectives spoke with the victims and witnesses, and reviewed electronic and physical evidence related to the incident. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued for Filanov.
Deputies arrested Filanov on Friday in the north Sacramento area on charges of kidnapping. He is being held in the Sacramento County Jail in lieu of $375,000 bail, according to officers.
No additional details have been released.
In a statement, Uber said, “The disturbing behavior the riders reported will not be tolerated. We removed this driver’s access to the app shortly after we learned of the incident and stand ready to help with the investigation.”
A spokesperson for the company said Filanov no longer has access to Uber.
