HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - A problematic passenger is behind bars after, police said, he went on the attack against his Uber driver during a ride earlier this month.
Last Friday evening, 61-year-old Nelson Carinao picked up 19-year-old Isaiah Norton for what was supposed to be a quick ride through Interstate 95 from Broward to Miami-Dade County.
But investigators said it quickly turned into a dangerous ride. The nightmare fare was caught on interior dash camera video.
Within minutes of getting into the car, Norton is repeatedly seen punching Carinao while the car is in motion.
Despite the footage lacking audio, Carinao’s face showed his fear as he yelled at the man.
At one point, Norton pauses from punching to laugh and smile at the driver.
Then Norton gets out of the car but quickly returns to continue the beating and to laugh some more.
A short time later, the driver tries to break away from the fight, but Norton pulls him back inside. Carinao tries again to get out of the car, but Norton holds him by the shirt as the car begins rolling backwards.
Video shows the driver appearing to tell Carinao, “No one is going to help.”
When the driver finally gets free, the passenger gets out and continues attacking before taking off running.
Carinao was left with cuts and bruises and emotional scars.
Norton, however, wouldn’t get far from the scene. He was arrested within minutes of fleeing.
According to court documents, the suspect refused to appear in court. His bond was set at $1,000.
As of Wednesday evening, he remains in jail and was charged with resisting arrest and battery.
The driver’s children have shared the story and the video on social media, demanding more protection for Uber drivers.
Carinao’s son wrote in a post, “I don’t wish this upon any parent.”
His daughter added, “I feel a responsibility to speak up.”
A 7News crew attempted to speak to the driver’s family about the attack but were told they weren’t ready to make a statement.
In a statement to 7News, Uber said in part: “We are deeply disturbed by this senseless attack. We removed the rider’s access to the app.”
The company said they are dedicated to their driver’s safety and have several safeguards in place.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.