Suspect attacks Uber driver, squeezes victim’s throat

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Mugshot of Nicholas Wilder, 38. (Credit: Collier County Sheriff's Office)
Mugshot of Nicholas Wilder, 38. (Credit: Collier County Sheriff’s Office)

Authorities arrested a Naples man suspected of attacking his Uber driver early Saturday morning.

The suspect, Nicholas Wilder, 38, faces misdemeanor battery charges.

The victim said Nicholas and his wife, Crystal, were high or intoxicated when they entered his Uber. A friend made Nicholas enter the front seat while his wife would sit in the backseat.

A short while on the way to their destination, Nicholas asked the victim to turn up the air conditioning, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office press release states. Suddenly, Nicholas unbuckled his seatbelt and lunged at the driver.

Nicholas would grab the victim’s throat, squeezing it tightly. The victim would defend him or herself while driving the vehicle at the same time. Meanwhile, Crystal was passed out in the backseat.

The victim stopped the vehicle, per the press release. Nicholas and Crystal exited and began walking to their destination.

CCSO Deputies found the pair, and the victim confirmed they were the passengers in his Uber.

Nicholas was taken to Naples Jail Center.

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