A woman from South Carolina, Naziyha Weatherall, has been accused of stabbing her Lyft driver 11 times and then stealing his vehicle. On Friday, she was denied bail as her lawyer claimed she was undergoing a serious mental health crisis at the time of the incident.
Weatherall is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, carjacking, and possessing a weapon during a violent crime, linked to an event that took place on April 22 in Greenville County.
During the bond hearing, prosecutors described the situation as a “frightening factual scenario,” asserting that Weatherall represented a significant threat to the public.
One prosecutor emphasized, “The victim was simply just trying to do his job and was stabbed 11 times. Not only that, his car was then stolen.”
The driver’s wife spoke in court on his behalf, noting that the trauma from the attack prevented him from attending. “What concerns us most is that this happened while my husband was simply working,” she remarked. “If this level of violence can be directed at someone just doing their job, what does that mean for the safety of others in our community?”
Weatherall’s attorney requested that the court take into account her mental health, pointing out that she had no prior criminal record and was experiencing a psychiatric emergency during the alleged assault.
The attorney explained that paranoia had led Weatherall to believe she was being targeted by others, which prompted her to order a Lyft ride to report her concerns to the police. “Her mother even called the police beforehand to inform them she was coming in to make a report,” the attorney stated. “But things escalated.”
According to the defense, Weatherall thought she was a victim of trafficking, experienced a panic attack during the ride, and had a history of schizophrenia along with other mental health issues.
Weatherall’s lawyer also mentioned that she is now stable and receiving medication and requested the court release her to allow family and a social worker to help her transition to a treatment facility.
The mother of Weatherall expressed sorrow to the driver’s family, urging the court to consider her daughter’s mental health situation. “She’s not a criminal. She would never, ever hurt anyone like that,” she affirmed. “I understand the family is suffering, we all are.”
The court had previously ordered evaluations in June to assess Weatherall’s mental competency. During Friday’s hearing, the judge denied her bond request and stated she would remain in custody until a psychological evaluation set for September.
In response to the incident, Lyft announced that the rider accounts connected to Weatherall will be permanently removed from its platform, and they have been cooperating with law enforcement throughout the process.
A spokesperson for Lyft commented, “Violence like this has no place in the Lyft community or in our society. The well-being of the driver has been our priority, and we have reached out to them and their family to offer support.”
Fox News Digital is in the process of contacting Weatherall’s attorney for further comments.
