Violent armed robbery of 67-year-old Lyft driver caught on video, California police say

Dashcam footage in California captured a Lyft driver being pistol-whipped and robbed at gunpoint by another man.

Paul Liao, 67, said he was working Monday night when a man jumped into his car at an Arco station in South El Monte and robbed him at gunpoint, CBSLA reported.

“I was very scared,” Liao said, according to the station. “Very scared.”

The video, which was shared with Fox 11 Los Angeles, shows a man getting into the backseat of the car and holding a gun. The man grabs Liao’s phone and Liao hands over his wallet. The video also shows the man hitting Liao twice in the face with the gun before getting out of the car.

Liao’s family said that his wallet had $1,560 in cash, ABC7 reported.

Liao said the man also wanted to take his car but he told him that the car “has a new keyless system” that would allow only Liao to drive it, which caused the man to hit Liao with his gun and knock off his glasses, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The incident is being investigated as a robbery, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told McClatchy News.

Detective Sgt. Richard Lewis confirmed the man asked Liao, who is Taiwanese, if he was from China, a department public information officer told McClatchy News.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft and the incident shown is horrifying. We are in touch with the driver’s family to offer our support and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation,” a Lyft spokesperson said in a statement provided to McClatchy News.

This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 1:47 PM.