'Airport Hustler' Under Arrest: Man In Custody For Allegedly Imprisoning Passenger After Pretending To Be Livery Driver
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A so-called "airport hustler" is under arrest after authorities say he illegally held a woman against her will in his SUV.
The Port Authority Police Department says Daniel Todaro was arrested after officers at John F. Kennedy International Airport heard a woman shouting in the backseat of his car early Friday morning.
The woman told officers Todaro approached her while she was standing in a taxi line and asked her if she needed a ride, telling her he was a licensed livery driver.
Once she got into Todaro's SUV, they argued about the price of the trip: Todaro allegedly demanded $80-$100. When she attempted to get out, she told officers she wasn't allowed to leave - Todaro allegedly demanded $20 to cover a parking fee - which is when she started yelling, shouting and calling police.
Todaro allegedly attempted to drive away with the woman still in the SUV, but was nabbed and his vehicle impounded.
"That's crazy, I can't believe someone could do that," Hair Kevorkian of Rye told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis.
"Wow, that's very - I can't imagine what she went through," said limo driver Eudis Flores.
"It would be very, very scary. You should not go with a stranger," said VJ Rajagopal.
Todaro faces unlawful imprisonment, criminal trespass and unlawful solicitation charges.
Travelers say it's important to make sure drivers are legitimate.
"The guys are all over the airport, and they're always asking if you need a ride. Just avoid those people," Kevorkian said.
"This woman has to be careful. That's why there are taxis, there's Uber," said Francesco Cardenas of Queens.
On Monday night, it took CBS2's Jessica Layton less than five minutes to find a group of men inside JFK's Terminal four breaking TLC rules by offering rides that weren't set up in advance.
One unsuspecting couple heading to Long Island followed a driver out. CBS2's Layton confronted him before they got in his car.
He claimed to be a valid TLC driver but wouldn't show his license.
In 2017, Todaro was banned from the airport as a habitual unlicensed "airport hustler," according to the Port Authority Police.