$3,000 reward offered for information about missing Uber driver
WESLEY CHAPEL - Pasco County Sheriff?s Office investigators are searching for an Uber driver who was last seen at a Tampa gas station just after 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
Sean Golden, 39, of Wesley Chapel, dropped off two Uber clients near the 4200 block of Tampania Avenue in Tampa and went to the Flying J gas station, 11555 East Sligh Ave. He is seen in surveillance video putting gas into his car. From there, he may have driven east on Interstate 4, police said Wednesday.
Golden, a married father of two children, was driving a 2014 gray Toyota Camry with a license tag number S651JA while working for Uber, a smartphone app-based car service.
"It just doesn't sound right," Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said, adding that Golden and his wife have been married several years.
Golden's family is extremely worried, as it would be out of character for him to simply leave without a word, Nocco said. Two telephones typically used by Golden are currently "inactive," although it is unclear why, he said.
Sheriff's Detective Zak Arey said the last two people Golden dropped off Sunday morning have cooperated with law enforcement. The clients were located through Uber records and the car service has cooperated with investigators; the clients are not considered suspects of a crime, Arey said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and Tampa Police Department are assisting with the investigation, Arey said, adding that the agencies are currently working "a few leads."
"Right now, we're just not sure what's happened," Arey said.
Golden's wife, Corrine Stevens Golden, wrote of her husband's mysterious disappearance on her Facebook page.
"Please pray for our family," she wrote. "This is a difficult time. We pray for his safe return home."
A Facebook page for Sean Golden features a photo of him posing with former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon.
In a prepared statement, Kaitlin Durkosh, a spokeswoman for Uber, said the company hopes for Golden's "safe return."
"Our thoughts are with (Golden's) loved ones during this difficult time," Durkosh wrote. "We've provided law enforcement with all information we have available, and stand ready to help in any other way we can."
She said Golden "was not providing a ride through the Uber app during the time that is being investigated."
Crime Stoppers Tampa Bay has offered a cash reward of $3,000 for information that leads to Golden's location.
Anyone with information can call the sheriff's tips line at 1-800-706-2499. Tips may also be made with a mobile phone app or by visiting:
https://www.tipsubmit.com/WebTips.aspx?AgencyID=615
gfox@tampatrib.com
Originally Posted by marshmallow
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