Arlington man sentenced to 12 years for kidnapping rideshare driver, forcing 1,300 mile drive to Florida

An Arlington man has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after kidnapping a rideshare driver at gunpoint and forcing the victim to drive him to Florida.

Sentencing

What we know:

Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 24, was sentenced on Feb. 20 to 12 years in prison. He was convicted on charges of kidnapping, carjacking, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The case was investigated by Miami police, and Pastran Hernandez was charged in Florida.

The backstory:

On Aug. 16, a Lyft driver in Arlington picked up Pastran Hernandez around 10:30 p.m. The ride was scheduled to end at a gas station, but when they arrived, the station was closed.

Pastran Hernandez then pulled a gun on the driver, demanded their belongings, and ordered them out of the car. He initially told the victim he planned to tie them up and put them in the back of the vehicle but ultimately decided to force them to drive to Florida instead.

During the drive, Pastran Hernandez used a phone app to track police locations and instructed the victim to avoid those areas. He also threatened the victim with additional firearms in his luggage.

At some point, Pastran Hernandez discovered a blue handgun inside the car. He found ammunition ina  different part of the car. Pastran Hernandez loaded the weapon and kept it on him for the rest of the trip, using it to threaten the driver.

On Aug. 18, they arrived in Miami Beach, where Pastran Hernandez began scouting for his next target: a social media influencer. He told the driver his plan was to kidnap the influencer or a family member and demand a $3 million ransom.

The next day, Pastran Hernandez forced the victim to drive to a store in Hialeah, Florida, where he intended to purchase supplies for the planned abduction. When the victim went inside to use the restroom, police arrived at the store. Pastran Hernandez fled on foot but was found hours later at a park in Hollywood, Florida. He was armed with the blue handgun at the time of his arrest.

Police also found additional kidnapping supplies in Pastran Hernandez’s backpack, including walkie-talkies, zip ties, a black face mask, sunglasses, and binoculars.

What we don't know:

The victim’s identity has not been released. Authorities have also not disclosed which influencer Pastran Hernandez allegedly targeted or where he will serve his sentence.