Ill. Woman Gets 27 Years in Prison for Stabbing Uber Driver to Death with a Machete, Knife as Teen

Eliza Wasni stole a machete and a knife in 2017 before hailing a ride and attacking the driver within seconds of entering his car

Eliza Wasni. Photo: Lincolnwood Police Department

A 19-year-old Illinois woman was sentenced to 27 years in prison for slashing an Uber driver to death three years ago.

According to local reports, Eliza Wasni agreed to plead guilty to first-degree murder as part of a deal orchestrated by prosecutors.

Wasni was sentenced on Monday by Cook County Judge Timothy Chambers, according to the Associated Press.

The teen stole a machete and a knife from a suburban Chicago Walmart, and hailed a ride.

Grant Nelson picked Wasni up in Lincolnwood early on the morning of May 30, 2017, just a few blocks from the store she'd just stolen from.

Seconds after entering Nelson's car, Wasni started attacking the 34-year-old with the knife and machete, reports the Chicago Tribune.

According to police, Nelson managed to escape the car, and fled on foot. Wasni fled in Nelson's vehicle, and, not long after, crashed it into a median before running from the scene.

Nelson made his way to a nearby apartment building, police said.

"Help me, help me," Nelson shouted, according to the first resident who called 911. "I'm going to die."

Police arrived and followed his blood trail to find Nelson.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he managed to describe his attacker before dying from at least six stab wounds.

"She came at me with a machete," Nelson told a paramedic, reports Patch.

When investigators looked at Nelson's phone, the Uber app was still open, and showed his last customer was named "Eliza."

Police found Nelson's crashed car still running. The interior was covered in blood.

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Before long, police caught up to Wasni, who was hiding behind a building.

She had left her blood-stained Chicago Cubs T-shirt but refused to drop the knife and machete, so she was Tasered by police.

In addition to her 27-year sentence, Wasni was ordered to undergo continued mental health assessments and will be on three years mandatory supervision upon her release.

Wasni has not explained what motivated the killing.