Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 24, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after a harrowing kidnapping incident involving a Lyft driver.
On August 16, Hernandez used multiple firearms to threaten the victim, demanding that the driver take him from Arlington to Florida. During the journey, he monitored police locations using a smartphone app and even found and brandished a gun from the car, further instilling fear in the driver. Upon arriving in Miami Beach, he intended to kidnap a social media influencer for ransom.
Hernandez’s plot unraveled when he was apprehended at a convenience store in Hialeah while purchasing supplies for the planned abduction. After the victim alerted authorities during a restroom break, police arrested Hernandez in a nearby park, where he was found with additional kidnapping materials, including zip ties and binoculars, per Fox 4 KDFW.
His conviction includes charges of kidnapping, carjacking, and gun possession in relation to a violent crime. The victim’s identity and details about the intended influencer remain undisclosed.
Here is more of the story from Fox:
An Arlington man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after kidnapping a rideshare driver at gunpoint and forcing the victim to drive him to Florida.
Sentencing
What we know:
Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 24, was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 12 years in prison. He was convicted on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The case was investigated by Miami police, and Pastran Hernandez was charged in Florida.
The backstory:
On Aug. 16, a Lyft driver in Arlington picked up Pastran Hernandez around 10:30 p.m. The ride was scheduled to end at a gas station, but when they arrived, the station was closed.
Pastran Hernandez then pulled a gun on the driver, demanded their belongings, and ordered them out of the car. He initially told the victim he planned to tie them up and put them in the back of the vehicle but ultimately decided to force them to drive to Florida instead.
During the drive, Pastran Hernandez used a phone app to track police locations and instructed the victim to avoid those areas. He also threatened the victim with additional firearms in his luggage.
At some point, Pastran Hernandez discovered a blue handgun inside the car. He found ammunition ina different part of the car. Pastran Hernandez loaded the weapon and kept it on him for the rest of the trip, using it to threaten the driver.
On Aug. 18, they arrived in Miami Beach, where Pastran Hernandez began scouting for his next target: a social media influencer. He told the driver his plan was to kidnap the influencer or a family member and demand a $3 million ransom.
The next day, Pastran Hernandez forced the victim to drive to a store in Hialeah, Florida, where he intended to purchase supplies for the planned abduction. When the victim went inside to use the restroom, police arrived at the store. Pastran Hernandez fled on foot but was found hours later at a park in Hollywood, Florida. He was armed with the blue handgun at the time of his arrest.
Police also found additional kidnapping supplies in Pastran Hernandez’s backpack, including walkie-talkies, zip ties, a black face mask, sunglasses, and binoculars.
What we don’t know:
The victim’s identity has not been released. Authorities have also not disclosed which influencer Pastran Hernandez allegedly targeted or where he will serve his sentence.