Man accused of fatally shooting 78-year-old Lyft driver at motel, stealing car

DALLAS — A Texas man is accused of fatally shooting a 78-year-old Lyft driver who gave him a ride, then stealing his vehicle after the incident in the parking lot of a Dallas motel, according to court documents.

>> Read more trending news

Maurice Parker, 19, is facing a capital murder charge in the Saturday shooting death of Mohammad Haddad-Farshi, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Officers with the Dallas Police Department responded at about 3:40 a.m. CDT to the parking lot of the Budget Suites of America, where they found Mohammad Haddad-Farshi dead with a gunshot wound, according to the newspaper.

Haddad-Farshi’s wallet, phone and car were missing, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit obtained by the Morning News.

The vehicle Haddad-Farshi had been driving was a Lyft rental through Flexdrive Services LLC, WFAA-TV reported, also citing the affidavit.

According to court records, Lyft contacted Dallas police and told them that the victim was the last passenger for Haddad-Farshi, KDFW-TV reported. The drop-off location was where police found Haddad-Farshi’s body, according to the television station.

Parker was arrested on an unlawful carrying of a weapon charge later Saturday. A witness reported about 6:40 p.m. CDT that he was in the motel’s courtyard firing shots at the ground while children were around, the Morning News reported.

After officers arrested Parker at gunpoint at the motel, he told them the gun in his possession belonged to his mother, who gave it to him as a “gift for protection,” according to the affidavit.

While searching Parker’s belongings, officers allegedly found a wallet containing multiple documents tied to the victim, including his driver’s license, passport card and Social Security card, the Morning News reported.

Parker also allegedly told police where the victim’s vehicle could be found, WFAA reported. Authorities later located the vehicle in the 12000 block of Abrams Road in Dallas, according to KFDW.

“We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation and have permanently banned the rider’s account from the Lyft community,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement obtained by WFAA.

Parker, who was already in custody at the Dallas County jail on the weapons charge, was being held on a $5 million bond at the Dallas County jail, court records show. It was unclear whether he had an attorney, the Morning News reported.

© 2024 Cox Media Group