FRIENDSWOOD — A Houston man accused of abducting a 21-year-old woman after she hailed a rideshare from Galveston has been arrested on an aggravated kidnapping warrant, according to the Friendswood Police Department.

Authorities say the incident occurred in the early morning hours of June 28, 2025. The woman had arranged a rideshare pickup around 2:51 a.m. in Galveston, with her family expecting her to arrive shortly after at their home in Friendswood. They received an alert that her ride had ended at the residence, but when she didn’t show up, they tracked her location and found she was in a vacant business parking lot instead.

The woman’s relatives drove to the location and discovered a vehicle there. Inside, they found her in the front passenger seat. She was safely removed from the car and taken home. The woman later told her family she had been drinking earlier that night and was in and out of sleep during the ride.

Friendswood Police investigators determined that the driver, 49-year-old Sameh Chami of Houston, had deliberately ended the trip in the app before reaching her destination.

Following a review by the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, a warrant for aggravated kidnapping was issued for Chami. He was taken into custody by Friendswood officers in Houston on August 6 and transported to the Friendswood City Jail.

According to police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on Chami due to his immigration status.

The Friendswood Police Department issued a press release Wednesday confirming the arrest and charges. The case remains under investigation.