A Schuylkill County man is facing several charges after he allegedly caused a disturbance on a Lyft ride.
According to State Police, Troopers responded to a business parking lot along Route 61-South in North Manheim Township, near the Cressona Mall, back on June 2.
Police say they received two calls prior to their arrival on the scene. The first one came from Joseph Sylvester, 31, of Minersville, who reported to 9-1-1 that his Uber driver was trying to kill him.
That call prompted police to respond but on their way, they say a call came in from that Uber driver (it was actually a Lyft driver) who said their passenger – later identified as Sylvester – was out of control.
Police say they made it to the location where the Lyft driver had stopped. Once Troopers saw that the passenger was Sylvester, they knew he’d be uncooperative based on their previous interactions with him.
According to their report from this incident, they weren’t wrong.
Sylvester allegedly told police that his driver was trying to kill him.
Police had Sylvester get out of the ride-share vehicle and sit in the front of their patrol vehicle while they conducted their investigation.
While Sylvester exited the Lyft vehicle, police say a vape pen labeled “Mellow Fellow Live Resin” was located on the seat where he’d been sitting.
Meanwhile, the Lyft driver reportedly told police that she’d picked up Sylvester at the Dunkin’ in Pottsville but did not indicate their intended destination. Along the way, she said Sylvester became irate and yelling at her that she was going to kill him.
Police went back to Sylvester whom they say was making less and less sense. Troopers say Sylvester belived his driver was going to kill him and that police were going to kill him.
Sylvester allegedly even tried to get the two State Troopers to fight each other.
Police say Sylvester continued yelling as they took him to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pottsville to undergo a mental health evaluation. While en route, Sylvester allegedly called police derogatory names.
Sylvester has been ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing on charges of making terroristic threats, use of drug paraphernalia, disorderly conduct, harassment, and marijuana possession.
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