Uber driver assaults boy, five, then steals his iPad

Just awful

Content Editor / July 09 2019

A five-year-old boy travelling in an Uber was assaulted by the driver after the trip ended and had his iPad stolen, his mother claims.

Anna Jobsz, from Auckland, took to social media to share information about the shocking incident.

“My five-year-old son was just assaulted by an uber driver,” she wrote.

“When we got out of the car the driver got out, followed us and pushed my son hard and stole his ipad, he ran back to his car and sped away.

“We are both very shaken. I'm hoping the police will catch him.”

In a later update on social media, Anna said that the iPad had been dumped near her home in St Mary’s Bay.

Both Uber and the police were notified, and the driver is allegedly being prosecuted for theft and assault of a child.

Ms Jobsz said that her son had only cried for a few minutes but had anxiety about “being shoved and mugged by a big scary man.”

She also said she had cried for an hour after the incident occurred, and wanted to share what had happened so other parents would be cautious when travelling in ride shares.

Uber have also allegedly suspended the driver’s license to drive for them until the matter is resolved by police.

An Uber spokeswoman told Stuff: “Without commenting on the specifics of this incident, it is our practice when we receive reports to remove the driver-partner's access to the app while the matter is looked into.”

“Our 24/7 support team monitors the feedback of trips and takes appropriate actions depending on the severity of the incident.

“We also have a team of former law enforcement professionals who are on call to work with police at any time, respond to urgent issues and help assist during an investigation.”

Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.