Uber driver robbed, stabbed early Friday in downtown Las Vegas

An Uber driver was robbed at knifepoint and then stabbed in downtown Las Vegas after picking up a non-Uber passenger early Friday morning, police said.

The driver was not logged into the Uber app as an available driver at the time of the attack but he did give authorized rides the previous day, Uber spokeswoman Taylor Patterson said.

The driver picked up the passenger, who did not use the Uber app to hail a ride, at about 2:15 a.m. near the Golden Nugget, 129 Fremont St., near Carson Avenue and Casino Center Boulevard, Las Vegas police said.

The passenger presented a firearm and a knife and then “took the victim’s wallet and slashed his stomach,” Metro Lt. CJ Jenkins said.

Use of the app allows Uber to track a ride’s every detail, including beginning and end times, GPS location and drivers and passenger ratings. Since the driver was not logged on, this information is not available.

The driver had his Uber credential in the windshield, but drivers are not required to remove it while off-duty, Patterson said.

Nevada law requires drivers to be logged on to the Uber app to facilitate an Uber ride. If Uber hears of instances of drivers giving rides on the side or for cash, those cases are reviewed and drivers can be removed from the platform, Patterson said. Reviews and removals are both infrequent, she added.

Uber transportation is a cashless process aimed at making travel convenient and safe for their passengers and drivers. “Carrying cash could be a safety risk,” Patterson said.

The driver was taken to University Medical Center with nonlife-threatening injuries, Jenkins said.

Police say the attacker is still at large.

Another Uber driver was attacked in California in October . The driver picked up a drunken passenger who began to beat him from behind when the driver ordered him out of the vehicle. The driver had to use pepper spray to get the man to stop attacking him.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lawrenlinehan