Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Maurice Andre Henry, 32, was arrested early this morning after allegedly trying to take a vehicle from a Lyft driver who he believed was trying to kidnap him.

At about 2:30 a.m. on March 30, the victim, a Lyft driver who speaks only Spanish, picked Henry up downtown and drove toward Earl Apartments (124 SW 62nd Street), the address given by Henry.

As the Lyft vehicle drove on SW 62nd Boulevard toward Earl Apartments, Henry, who was reportedly intoxicated, yelled at the driver to pull over.

Because the driver does not speak English, he did not respond right away, and Henry allegedly grabbed the driver by the neck and tried to climb into the front seat. As he continued holding the driver by the neck, Henry allegedly grabbed the steering wheel and managed to get one leg into the front seat, where he stepped on the gas pedal and took control of the vehicle.

The driver quickly pulled the car to the side of the road, where Henry allegedly pushed him out of the vehicle and climbed into the front seat.

The victim told the responding Gainesville Police Department officer that he got out of the vehicle holding the key fob, and when he heard Henry pressing the accelerator and trying to put the vehicle in gear, he remembered he had the key fob and turned the vehicle off. The victim reportedly hid from Henry and took a video of Henry getting back into the driver’s seat of the vehicle before the officer arrived.

The officer reported that the driver had abrasions on the right side of his neck.

Post Miranda, Henry reportedly said he had ordered either an Uber or a Lyft from downtown Gainesville after drinking an unknown amount of alcohol. Once he was in the car, he said, he thought the driver was taking him on a side route that would not take him home, so he became worried for his safety and tried to talk to the driver multiple times but did not receive an answer.

Henry reportedly said he started the ride in the back seat of the vehicle but later changed the story and said he remembered sitting in the front passenger seat near the end of the ride. He said he did not remember ever touching the driver but said he told the driver to stop the vehicle because he thought the driver was trying to “kidnap” him.

Henry reportedly said he knew that the vehicle stopped close to his residence, but he could not remember the route the driver took. However, the officer reported that the GPS route shown in Lyft was a direct route from downtown to Henry’s residence at Earl Apartments.

Henry reportedly said he didn’t know how the driver got abrasions on his neck; he said he was aware that the driver only spoke Spanish “because he had lived in California for approximately five years.” Henry reportedly said he did not remember whether he tried to drive the vehicle during the incident.

Henry has been charged with battery and attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle. He has no local criminal history. Judge Craig DeThomasis set bail at $2,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.