LOWER EAST SIDE – An Uber driver was beaten, robbed and slashed by a pair of passengers he picked up on the Lower East Side early Sunday morning, police and prosecutors say.
The driver, whose name was not released, picked up Sterlin Diloene, 21, and Elinan Rivadeneira, 19, of The Bronx, in front of 265 Cherry St. around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, according to a criminal complaint. After riding in the car a few blocks to the corner of South Street and Pike Slip, Diloene snatched an iPhone 6 from the victim's right hand, according to a police report.
Both suspects then got out of the car as the Uber driver tried to recover his phone, according to court records. Diloene then taunted the driver, "Come on, watcha gonna do?" and punched him in the chest, according to police and court papers.
Rivadeneira then pulled out a knife and held it against the victim's torso before slashing him across the left arm, causing bleeding and pain, according to police and court papers.
The duo were arrested in The Bronx soon after the incident. Rivadeneira was in possession of a stolen wallet belonging to a different victim, and Diloene was in possession of three bags of marijuana, police said.
Both defendants are being charged with robbery in the first degree, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal possession of stolen property, court records show.
Both defendants are being held on $10,000 cash or $15,000 bond bail, court records show. Both were due back in court on Friday.
Rivadeneira and Diloene's lawyers did not immediately to a request for comment.
A spokeswoman for Uber said it was highly unlikely the incident was related to the company. She said the company had no data indicating any ride occurred at the stated time and location.
