The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Thursday announced an arrest in a bold robbery of a Lyft driver at a gas station.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports Dandre Lorenz Powell is being held on $2 million bail and faces charges of first-degree robbery, elder abuse during commission of a violent crime, and weapon charges.
“To the victim and his family: I send my deepest sympathy for all the trauma this has caused. I know that you’re extremely frightened and you took the job as rideshare driver to provide for your family during these difficult times with the pandemic,” Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Thursday to KTLA 5.
Authorities believe Powell is the man seen in surveillance video waving his gun at Lyft driver Paul Liao after entering his car while parked at a gas station. The man in the video is seen twice hitting Liao across the face with his gun, stealing his cell phone and making off with $1560.
Liao’s daughter says the suspect told her father to “go back to China” several times during the incident, the Valley Tribune reported.
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Authorities traced Powell to a nearby Motel 6 and credit the dashcam video for his arrest.
“That was the number one piece of evidence we had in identifying who this individual was,” sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lewis said. “Utilizing past records and booking photos, we came up with a positive identification.”
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