Man accused of assaulting rideshare driver, bribing Marietta officers
Police say suspect offered $8,000 bribe to escape
A rideshare driver reported being groped and threatened by a passenger during a ride from Canton to the Marietta Diner.
MARIETTA, Ga. - A man accused of terrorizing a rideshare driver from Canton to Marietta faces a long list of charges after police say he tried to bribe officers with more than $8,000 in cash.
Terrifying rideshare attack
What we know:
A rideshare driver says a male passenger threatened to kill her, called her names, and claimed he had a gun and drugs after she picked him up for a trip from Canton to the Marietta Diner. The driver said the passenger grabbed her neck, pulled her close, and groped her.
Desperate to get him out of her car, the driver raced to the Marietta Diner. Upon arrival, the passenger offered her $1,000 to walk inside, order food and eat with him, but she refused and drove away.
Marietta police bribe attempt
What we don't know:
It remains unclear why the passenger was carrying thousands of dollars in cash or where he obtained the money. Officials have not yet confirmed the specific list of formal charges filed against the suspect.
The backstory:
After leaving the restaurant, the driver realized the passenger had left his cellphone inside her car. Fearing he could track her location, she called Marietta police, who were already at the Marietta Diner responding to reports of a man handing out cash to staff and customers, then refusing to leave.
What they're saying:
"He is becoming more belligerent and refusing to cooperate with cops," Marietta Police Officer Chuck McPhilamy said.
Investigators asked the rideshare driver to return to the diner, where she instantly identified the man as her passenger. Officers say 39-year-old Latrell Wilbert, who had outstanding warrants, pulled out more than $8,000 from his pocket and offered it to the officers if they would look the other way and let him go.
"Offering to give them all of the cash he had in his possession if he would look the other way and let them him go," McPhilamy said.
When officers refused the bribe, Wilbert threatened to murder the officers and their families. He was arrested and taken to jail.
Local perspective:
The victim said the traumatic ordeal forced her to take a break from both rideshare driving and her full-time job. Still, she expressed relief that Wilbert was taken off the streets.
"That's the good thing that came from this," she said. "He can't terrorize any more women or touch them, either."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a rideshare driver, who shared her account of the assault, as well as Marietta Police Officer Chuck McPhilamy, who detailed the arrest and investigation.