DAYTON — The widow of a rideshare driver killed final week is talking out about her husband and the teenagers accused of taking his life.
The Lyft driver, recognized as Brandon Cooper, 35, of Beavercreek, was discovered in the 1000 block of Ferguson Avenue lifeless after he’d been shot and crashed into one other automotive, police mentioned.
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Investigators consider the juveniles had been additionally trying to rob Cooper when he was shot and killed.
Coopers’ spouse talked with News Center 7 Monday, the identical day we uncovered two extra stories of rideshare driver assaults that the juveniles in custody are accused of committing.
“Maybe he was just hurt in a car accident, he would be OK,” mentioned his spouse, Brittney Cooper. “It was worse than what I thought.”
Brittney had been with Cooper for the final 12 years– they had been married 5 years in the past on the Dayton Art Institute.
News Center 7 requested her concerning the final time she noticed him when he headed out for his shift as a Lyft driver.
“He came in to give me a kiss goodnight and to leave, he leaned over me and gave me a kiss and said I love you,” Brittney mentioned.
Brittney instructed Cooper she liked him however by no means imagined it might be the final time they’d be collectively.
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Dayton police acquired calls a few crash, the place they found Cooper with a deadly gunshot wound in his automotive.
Their investigation led them to a different assault on a Lyft driver two hours earlier and ultimately to a house the place they found the stolen automotive and arrested a quantity of juvenile males. Five totally different teenagers appeared in juvenile court docket the following day.
News Center 7 realized the teenagers are suspected of two extra assaults on rideshare drivers, three days earlier than the deadly capturing.
“This is so urgent, they just threatened my life with a gun and stole my car,” an Uber Eats driver mentioned in a 911 name.
She instructed sheriffs deputies she was passing the meals to a buyer when a younger male walked up and pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her if she didn’t give him her cellphone.
“They had me take them to Pawtucket and then they pulled the gun out on me,” she mentioned.
A unique Uber driver referred to as six hours later from the identical condo advanced after additionally being carjacked.
That report mentioned “(Driver) begged them to allow her to keep her house keys. The suspects allowed her to keep her house keys….while removing her house keys, one of the suspects said, ‘She is taking too long, just shoot her.’”
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Deputies and Dayton police consider the identical group of 15 and 16-year-old teenagers took half in all 4 incidents, ending with the deadly capturing of Cooper.
“I know him, I didn’t have to be there to know exactly what he would have said, ‘you don’t have to do this,’” Brittney mentioned.
Brittney instructed News Center 7 Cooper was far more than a rideshare driver. She mentioned he was a recreation designer and believed strongly in supporting different younger males. She can’t consider her husband is gone over one thing she believes is so mindless.
“We can’t get him back, a car can be replaced,” she mentioned.
The first two incidents the place rideshare drivers had been focused occurred at an condo advanced close to Pawtucket Street. It’s additionally a spot that deputies try to contact rideshare corporations to have their drivers keep away from, as a result of of the crimes which were dedicated.
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