Kidnapping in East County 

March 11, 2025 – San Diego County Sheriff’s Office officials report that a man is facing serious charges after kidnapping a ride-share driver in the East County.

On Sunday, March 9, just after 9:30 p.m., the Sheriff's Communications Center received a "Text to 9-1-1" message from a woman claiming to be a Lyft driver. In her message, she explained she was being held against her will by a passenger she had just picked up in Spring Valley. The man, later identified as Shane Capezio (22), threatened the driver that he had a gun. Capezio reportedly told the driver to take him to a dispensary located in the 3500 block of Harris Street in Lemon Grove.

Deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation and Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station arrived at the dispensary and located the Lyft driver's car in the parking lot. They found a struggle taking place inside the car between Capezio and the driver. Deputies quickly intervened and detained Capezio. The driver was not seriously injured.

A preliminary investigation by deputies found that Capezio did not have a gun. He was arrested on numerous charges, including kidnapping, robbery, false imprisonment, dissuading a victim and preventing a victim from calling 9-1-1. Capezio was booked into the San Diego Central Jail.

Text to 9-1-1 is available in San Diego County. This includes the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, as well as all police and fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies.

To watch a video about how Text to 9-1-1 works, click on the above graphic. You can also watch the video by clicking here.

Calling is still the fastest way to reach 9-1-1. However, there are situations when texting may be the better option.

• You're deaf, hard of hearing, non-verbal or have difficulty speaking
• You're in a situation where it's not safe to call 9-1-1 for help
• You're having a medical emergency and cannot speak on the phone

How does Text to 9-1-1 work?

• Enter the numbers 911 in the "To" field
• Give the location and nature of your emergency
• Send the text message
• Respond to dispatcher questions and follow instructions

Remember: Call if you can, Text ONLY if you can't.

For more information about Text to 9-1-1, click here. 

Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Office