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Police: Man pretends to be Uber driver before attacking, sexually assaulting woman

The woman grew concerned as he passed her destination and did not stop, according to law enforcement.
Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

TAMPA, Fla — A 30-year-old man is behind bars after the Tampa Police Department says he violently attacked a woman in the early hours of July 5 while posing as her Uber driver. 

According to a police affidavit, a woman was attempting to leave The Patio, a downtown Tampa bar, ordering an Uber to take her to a nearby friend's house when Gary Pyrus, 30, approached her.

The woman told police Pyrus briefly tried to talk to her; and during the interaction, she shared her name with him before parting ways. 

What she was unaware of is that while standing on the corner waiting on her Uber's arrival, police say based on surveillance video, Pyrus "immediately" followed her from the business, watching her as he walked to his car parked in a lot of another business.

That's when authorities say Pyrus got in his car and pulled up next to the woman, calling out her name. Police say the woman said she believed he was her Uber driver and mistakenly got into the passenger seat. 

Once inside the car, investigators say Pyrus asked her for the address to which she was headed and then drove away. It was then that the woman realized he was the man who approached her at The Patio, according to an affidavit. 

The woman grew concerned as Pyrus passed her destination and did not stop, police say.

"The victim asked multiple times for the suspect to stop, telling him that he had driven past the location, but the suspect did not acknowledge any of her requests," the affidavit states.

According to officers, Pyrus rather drove into an isolated area of an empty business complex parking lot, locking the doors and launching his attack.

"The suspect then began to violently attack the victim by striking her in the head, strangling her, and forcefully dragging her into the back seat of his vehicle," the affidavit continues.

The woman fought back and tried to escape and screamed for help on multiple accounts, but the man put all his weight on her and she believes he child-locked the doors, according to a police report.

At one point, police say the woman told them she feared she would lose consciousness during the attack and that Pyrus was trying to kill her. 

Officers say the woman's friend called around 2:57 a.m. to check on her. She was able to answer, but Pyrus allegedly took the phone and threw it on the front seat.

That's when police say Pyrus began to sexually assault and threaten her. The woman continued to scream despite Pyrus' alleged threats causing him to let her go, law enforcement said.

Pyrus threw her, her clothing and purse out of his car, forcing her to run to her friend's apartment to notify police, according to a report.

Through surveillance video, the woman's statements and additional evidence, the Tampa Police Department identified the attacker as Pyrus. The manager of the bar also identified Pyrus as a former "regular customer."

Police said the woman also picked Pyrus out of a lineup.

Pyrus is currently being held in Hillsborough County's jail on $135,000 bond. He also faces three felony charges of kidnapping to commit a felony, battery second or subsequent offense and sexual battery.

Police say Pyrus has a prior battery guilty plea from 2017.

10 Tampa Bay reached out to Uber for comment, which it was unable to provide. 

The company did share some of its safety tips, including a feature launched earlier this year that gives riders the option to receive a four-digit PIN code to provide to your driver before the trip begins. Also, its "Check Your Ride" campaign that focuses on reminding riders to check car details in the app before getting into a car.

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