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Teen Girl Arrested In Connection With The Stabbing Death Of An Uber Driver
The teenager was seen fleeing from the car where Uber driver, Raquel Spohn Wehber, had been stabbed to death.
A teenage girl has been apprehended after witnesses say she stabbed an Uber driver to death in the car.
The driver, Raquel Spohn Wehber, 58, was attacked at around 3:00 p.m. last Tuesday in National City, California, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Police said that Wehber suffered several stab wounds. She was parked near a local market.
“She was just full of life,” said Wehber's friend, Beatrice Garcia, according to San Diego’s ABC News 10. “She had plans.”
Witnesses told police they saw the suspect, whose name was not released because of her age, running from the car.
It’s not clear whether or not the suspect was a passenger of Wehber.
The suspect, 17, was later arrested in a backyard not far from the crime scene, according to a press release obtained by Oxygen.com.
“When something like this happens, it’s one of those things where it takes a little more time to gather all the pieces of the puzzle,” National City Police Sergeant Kenneth Springer told Oxygen.com. “That way we can put them all together and see the bigger picture.”
Springer explained that this was an ongoing case and police were taking their time to make sure no stone was left unturned.
“We tend to slow it [the investigation] down so that we can get the best information that we can,” continued Springer. “So we can put together a solid case that can stand up in court.”
Deputy District Attorneys Cherie Somerville and Diva Aziz are charging the girl with two felony accounts of murder and torture, according to the Tribune.
Responding to requests from Oxygen.com, a spokeswoman for the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said they could not comment on open cases.
Uber announced that it had deactivated the account of the last person who requested a ride from Wehber, according to the Tribune.
“The senseless and brutal crime that took the life of Raquel Spohn Wehber is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with her family,” Uber said in their statement. “We stand ready to work with law enforcement on their investigation.”
The suspect entered a plea of not guilty in a juvenile court, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
Last Friday, prosecutor Cherie Somerville said the District Attorney’s Office seeks to try the suspect as an adult, according to NBC 7.
One of Wehber’s daughters, Daniela Martinez, created a GoFundMe page.
“Raquel was the glue of our family,” the statement said. “She was filled with laughter, lived life by her own terms, and always managed to make friends wherever she went. She lived life with joy and loved the time spent with her family. She will forever be missed.”
According to the fundraiser, Wehber had two daughters and two grandsons.
”My mom was taken from my family and I with this horrific crime,” the statement continued. “She leaves behind my sister and I, as well as two young grandsons (2 months and 2 years). While my sister and I are appreciative of all the memories shared with my mom, my nephews will never get to experience the greatness of my mom. They were robbed of that opportunity when my mom was murdered.”
Police are still investigating the motive behind the murder.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the National City Police Department at (619) 336-4411.
