2 arrested after Lyft driver lured from Columbus, robbed at gunpoint: court documents

COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) – Two people have been arrested in connection with a Lyft driver who was lured here from Columbus and then robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint, court documents show.

Steve Ivery Jr., 38, of Spring Grove Avenue and Symon’e Whitehead (also known as Eziryah Whitehead), 18, of Columbus were booked overnight at the Hamilton County Justice Center.

Symone Whitehead, 18, of Columbus, was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery,

Steve Ivery Jr., 38, of Spring Grove Village, was charged with robbery, resisting arrest, failure to comply with police, obstructing official acts and carrying a concealed weapon.

Both will appear in court for the first time in the case on Monday at 9 a.m.

The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter and received assistance from Green and Springfield police departments, as well as the city of Cincinnati.

Court records show that on Sunday, Whitehead lured a driver from Columbus to an apartment complex in Columbia Township.

“Upon arrival at the apartment, (the Lyft driver) was instructed to drive to the rear of the complex,” a sheriff’s official wrote in a statement.

“Ms. Whitehead asked to use (the driver’s) phone. She walked away from (him). At that point, Ivery Jr. pulled out a gun and told the driver, ‘Give me everything or I’ll kill you,'” the affidavit said.

Court documents say both suspects fled in the Lyft driver’s vehicle.

According to witness statements, Green Township police found the vehicle on North Bend Road off Interstate 74 and tried to stop it, but Ivery fled at a high rate of speed and ran a red light.

During the pursuit, Ivery was recorded driving in excess of 70 mph and “committed numerous traffic violations, creating a significant risk of injury to road users,” the affidavit said.

Multiple police agencies attempted to stop him by throwing “stop sticks” to deflate his tires, the statement said.

Springfield Twp and Colerain Twp police successfully used a tire deflation device and, according to court documents, the fleeing vehicle eventually stopped after an approximately 10-mile pursuit.

Ivery jumped from the vehicle and ran away but was apprehended by Cincinnati police.

He was charged with resisting arrest because police said he injured an officer’s hand “while actively resisting arrest.”

He also complicated the case by deliberately misleading police by making a “false statement” regarding his true identity.

Court documents show he is accused of providing Cincinnati police with an identification card that showed his name as a man under another name.

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