A Seattle teenager is facing charges after allegedly shooting an Uber driver at close range, stealing his vehicle, and using it for personal errands, including visiting family, getting her hair done, and smoking marijuana at a beach. The victim, Amare Geda, a 52-year-old father of two, was discovered dead in Seattle’s SODO district in the early hours of August 8.
The Seattle Police Department arrested an 18-year-old suspect two days later, identified as Neiana Allen-Bailey by local news outlet KIRO 7. Allen-Bailey is currently detained in the King County Jail on a homicide charge with a $2 million bail. Authorities clarified that Allen-Bailey was not a rideshare customer but had allegedly approached and shot Geda randomly.
This incident marks the second murder of a rideshare driver in Seattle within a year. In September 2022, Mohamed Kediye, a 48-year-old father of six, was shot dead while working his Lyft route near the Amazon Spheres. These violent incidents coincide with a reported increase in crime in Seattle, with homicides rising by 24% last year and overall crime increasing by 4%.
Following Geda’s murder, police tracked down the suspect after issuing an alert for Geda’s stolen 2014 Toyota Prius. The vehicle was found parked on a street closed for a street fair in South Lake Union. The teenager was arrested when she returned to the car. Initially, she claimed to have bought the vehicle on an app, but later admitted to shooting Geda, alleging that he had punched her during a physical altercation. However, surveillance footage contradicted her account, showing Geda standing outside his car for about seven seconds before he was shot.
Allen-Bailey reportedly spent two and a half days driving the stolen car, visiting family, buying and smoking marijuana, getting her hair done, and even refueling the car. Despite her absence in court, Geda’s family attended the hearing. The prosecuting attorney revealed that Allen-Bailey had confessed to an unrelated robbery committed the previous month.
Ahmed Mumin, Executive Director of the Seattle Rideshare Association, described Geda as an Ethiopian immigrant and one of the first Uber drivers in Seattle. Geda had been working two jobs for the past 14 years to support his family, driving at night and working at the airport during the day. A GoFundMe campaign for Geda’s family has raised over $70,000.