Lyft driver accused of brutal backseat attack, threatening to kill passenger during ride

A Florida rideshare driver is behind bars after allegedly choking and threatening to kill a passenger inside his car. 

The incident unfolded on Oct. 8, 2025, when Lyft driver Joaquin Mena Vazquez, 27, allegedly picked up a woman in his car and pulled into a grassy area to park, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. 

Mena Vazquez then climbed into the backseat and began choking the woman while threatening to kill her, police said. 

KIEFER SUTHERLAND ALLEGEDLY PUNCHED...