Murdered Uber driver mum begged for her life

Mum-of-four Christina Spicuzza was trying to earn some extra cash when she was brutally kidnapped and shot

- WORDS: GAIL SHORTLAND

Um-of-four Christina Spicuzza, 38, was working as an Uber driver to make some extra money for her family. She was engaged to her partner Brandon Marto, and they lived in Monroeville, Pennsylvania with Christina's four children.

Christina, known as Christi by loved ones, had been with Brandon eight years. Their relationship had a rocky start because Brandon had struggled with alcohol addiction. But, typical of Christina's compassionate character, she supported him through, and the couple were stronger than ever. Brandon had vowed to spend the rest of their lives making it up to her.

On the night of 10 February 2022, Uber driver Christina headed off in her silver Nissan for a busy Friday shift. At 9.15pm, she picked up a male passenger dressed in a dark sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head and also wearing a face mask - as part of the Covid protocol at the time. His name was Calvin Crew.

As Christina set off from Pitcairn for Penn Hills, Crew, 22, suddenly pulled out a gun and pressed it to the back of her head. Christina reached around to see what it was and felt the weapon. Dashcam footage was recording the terrifying ride in video and audio. "You've got to be joking," Christina said, before realising the severity of the situation. Crew grabbed hold of her ponytail tightly and told her to keep driving. The atmosphere in the car changed, as Christina began to fear for her life.

"Come on, I have a family," Christina pleaded. "I'm begging you. I have four kids." Crew replied, "I got a family too." Then he told her to keep driving as he snatched her phone.

Christina begged him several times to remove the gun from her head. "Please take that off of me," she pleaded.

"Do what I say, and everything will be all right," he responded.