An Uber driver accused of kidnapping passengers in Santa Monica on Halloween has been charged with five felonies in connection with the incident.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, Khaled Elsayedsa Ali, 35, of Garden Grove faces four counts of kidnapping and one count of fleeing a pursuing peace officer's motor vehicle while driving recklessly, all felonies.
Ali is accused of trying to kidnap four people on Oct. 31. In the first case, he picked up a male passenger through the Uber app but drove in the opposite direction from the requested destination. Ali refused to let the man out of the car and the victim eventually jumped from the vehicle.
Ali then picked up a woman who was also forced to jump from the vehicle when he drove away from her intended destination.
A third group of passengers called police from the back of Ali’s car when he again refused to take them to their destination. In the final case, police officers reached Ali’s car but he fled the scene with the passengers in the car. Both victims jumped from the vehicle during the chase and police eventually arrested Ali near Montana and Bundy.
The D.A.’s office said arraignment has been postponed to Nov. 5 but bail was set at $475,000. If convicted as charged, Ali faces a possible maximum sentence of more than 23 years in state prison.
The case remains under investigation by the Santa Monica Police Department.
