White Oak man charged in alleged kidnapping, assault of Lyft driver in Silver Spring

Police say suspect displayed handgun during May incident

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June 17, 2026 5:20 p.m.

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A 28-year-old White Oak man is facing charges of kidnapping and assault following a May incident involving a Lyft driver in Silver Spring, Montgomery County police said Wednesday in a statement.

Alexander Cleveland Hailey was arrested May 29 and charged with first-degree assault, kidnapping and related offenses connected to the May 24 incident near Piney Branch Road and Flower Avenue, according to a police news release. Court records indicate that Hailey is being held without bond.

Police did not immediately respond Wednesday to Bethesda Today’s request for comment about the May 24 incident, including whether the Lyft driver was injured.  

When emailed for comment on Wednesday afternoon, Hailey’s attorney, Matthew Von Fricken, told Bethesda Today that he would be out of the office until June 21. Investigators allege Hailey got into a Lyft vehicle driven by the victim, then displayed a handgun and ordered the driver to keep driving. The driver eventually stopped the car in the 8500 block of Piney Branch Road and fled on foot, according to the statement. Hailey got out and left the area as well, leaving items investigators later used as evidence.

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According to police, detectives identified Hailey as a suspect during their investigation and obtained an arrest warrant for him on May 28. He was arrested the next day in the 8400 block of Colesville Road in Silver Spring and taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville, where he was formally charged.

Hailey is scheduled to appear June 26 in Montgomery County District Court for a preliminary hearing, according to online court records.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine