Man robs driver after asking for ride

A man driving a relative's car Tuesday was beaten in Valley Stream by three men who stole the car and the driver's cellphone, Nassau County police said.

Fifth Squad detectives said the victim, 36, was driving his cousin's 1996 Nissan Maxima when he dropped off a passenger at the Pathmark on Springfield Boulevard in Jamaica around 8 p.m.

The driver was then approached by a man who asked for a ride to Valley Stream; the driver agreed to give the man a ride for $12, police said.

The man asked the driver to pull over at a Carroll Avenue address in Valley Stream, and when the car stopped, the man attacked the driver, police said. Two other men entered the vehicle and also joined in the assault, punching and kicking the driver and eventually dragging him from the car.

The three attackers drove away with the car, about $30 in cash and the victim's cellphone, police said.

Police said the driver had "multiple contusions to his face and body" and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 800-244-8477. All calls will be kept confidential.