Uber driver talks his way out of Des Plaines robbery

An Uber driver talked his way out of an armed robbery on the 1400 block of South River Road in Des Plaines around 2:55 a.m. Nov. 6, then called police though he had been threatened with death if he did so, according to a Des Plaines police report.

The driver told officers he parked to pick up a fare but discovered it had been canceled. As he returned to his vehicle, a black pickup truck pulled up behind him. The driver got out and, holding a knife, ordered the victim to hand over his cellphone and wallet. The offender opened the wallet but discovered there was no money in it.

The victim asked the man to give back the phone because he needed it for his work. The offender returned the wallet and phone, but as the victim began driving away and was stopped at a red light, the offender drove up next to him and told him, "If you call the police I will kill you. I know where you live," according to the police report.