Nicolas Phillips | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office
ROSELLE, Ill. - A Hanover Park man accused of pulling a gun on an Uber driver, demanding money and pistol-whipping him has been denied pretrial release.
Nicholas Phillips, 31, was charged with attempted robbery with a firearm, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated battery in a public place.
Uber driver held at gunpoint
The backstory:
The charges stem from an incident Sunday in Roselle that began with an Uber pickup, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said the victim drove his 2023 Kia to Sea Biscuit Lane around 10:30 a.m. to pick up Phillips. Phillips allegedly got into the backseat and later told the driver to turn around.
The driver stopped on Lake Street to show Phillips the address he was headed to, prosecutors said. Phillips then allegedly pulled out a gun and again ordered the driver to turn around before demanding money.
When the driver said he did not have any money, Phillips allegedly struck him in the head with the gun and later threatened to shoot him.
The driver eventually pulled into a gas station and tried to escape, but prosecutors allege Phillips held onto him. During the struggle, Phillips allegedly grabbed the driver's hand, causing the Kia to crash into a Nissan on Lake Street.
After the crash, the Uber driver got out and ran, prosecutors said. Phillips allegedly chased him around the Kia twice before the driver was able to get away.
Phillips then allegedly approached the driver of the Nissan, reached toward his waistband and said, "I got a gun."
The Nissan driver and Phillips got into a brief struggle, during which the Nissan driver was able to disarm Phillips and throw the gun away, according to prosecutors.
Phillips then allegedly fled the scene.
Roselle police initially responded around 10:54 p.m. to the 600 block of West Lake Street for the crash. Both vehicles were unoccupied when officers arrived, and police allegedly found a bullet on the rear passenger-side floorboard of the Kia and a cellphone on the front passenger seat.
The driver of the Nissan later directed officers to an area on Sunrise Lane, where police recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, prosecutors said.
Hanover Park police later took Phillips into custody at his home.
What they're saying:
"It is alleged that Mr. Phillips attempted to rob an innocent man at gunpoint who was just trying to earn an honest living," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. "Ride-share drivers provide an invaluable service to thousands of people every day and it is our responsibility to ensure that they can safely do their job without worrying about their personal safety."
What's next:
Phillips is due back in court on Sept. 8.
The Source: The information in this report came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.