A California woman got herself into legal trouble while trying to leave Texas in a hurry – and in a car she stole from an Uber driver – last weekend, authorities in the Lone Star State’s capitol city say.
Neusha Afkami, 27, stands accused of one count each of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and credit or debit card abuse, according to Travis County court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
Both alleged counts against the defendant are considered “state jail felonies” in Texas and carry sentences of up to two years in jail.
The incident occurred sometime in the midnight hour on Dec. 10, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate KTBC.
Afkami, who hails from Orange County, California, was picked up at a hotel by her Uber driver at 12:28 a.m. that day, the Austin Police Department reportedly says. Her destination was Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in the southeastern part of the city.
The ride-share driver, who has not been identified, said Afkami grew increasingly upset at the speed she was driving, telling her that she was going too slow, according to the affidavit. The defendant was allegedly frustrated the ride to the airport was simply taking too long.
At one point, Afkami grabbed the Uber driver’s phone from her hand and threw it out the window somewhere along East Cesar Chavez Street, a major thoroughfare, near Airport Boulevard, the affidavit alleges. Then, when the driver stopped her car and went to retrieve her phone, the defendant got out of the passenger seat, hopped behind the wheel, and drove away, leaving the driver stranded.
Police also allege Afkami used the driver’s credit card to purchase some $120 worth of items at a store in the small Austin airport.
Neusha Afkami inset against an image of Southwest Airlines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. (Austin Police Department; Google Maps)
The driver was able to collect her phone from the side of the road and quickly called police. Officers stationed at the airport were alerted to the allegations and arrested Afkami before she boarded her flight. When questioned, the defendant allegedly readily admitted she and the driver were arguing about how long the drive would take.
Afkami also allegedly admitted to taking the car – but appeared to frame her use of the vehicle as something not entirely unlike an agreement between the two. She allegedly told officers that she told her beleaguered driver: “I need to get to the airport, so I’m going to take your car and drop it off at Southwest Airlines.”
The car, a 2016 Chevrolet Cruz, was located near a terminal.
Police say all of the items purchased with the Uber driver’s card were in Afkami’s possession at the time of her arrest – and that those airport purchases included candy and a shot glass.
The defendant has retained counsel. Law&Crime reached out to her defense attorney for comment on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
Afkami was briefly detained in the Travis County Jail before posting $10,000 bond. She is slated to appear in court on Jan. 9.
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