Boston Uber Driver Charged With Raping Passenger in His Backseat
A Boston Uber driver has been arrested for picking up a female passenger, driving her to an unfamiliar area, then locking the doors and forcing himself on her in the backseat. Alejandro Done, 46, has been charged with rape, assault to rape, and assault and battery, CBS Boston reported.
After telling the victim she would have to pay in cash (which is normally not even an option on Uber ride, as doing away with cash tips is one of the company's selling points)—he drove her to an ATM, authorities say.
From there, he took the car to a secluded, unfamiliar area and got into the backseat with her.
Per the the Middlesex County District Attorney's office, this is what happened next:
"He allegedly struck her with his hands, strangled her, locked the car doors so that she could not escape and covered her mouth so she could not scream. During an ensuing physical struggle, the defendant allegedly sexually assaulted the woman."
Uber claims Done wasn't even the driver who was supposed to pick the woman up, and points out that he passed a background check before he started driving for them.
So did the L.A. driver charged with kidnapping and rape, the San Francisco driver charged with hitting a passenger in the head with a hammer, and another San Francisco driver accused of assault who turned out to have prior felony convictions and was on parole for a previous battery charge.
District attorneys in San Francisco and L.A. have alleged that although Uber and other ride-sharing companies say their background checks will catch prior DUI violations and violent offenses, the companies actually don't check complete criminal histories, and may fail to weed out drivers with records.
The company claimed yesterday that it's working on improving its background check process.
"This is a despicable crime and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim during her recovery," said an Uber spokesperson, "Uber has been working closely with law enforcement and will continue to do everything we can to assist their investigation."
Meanwhile, Done is in jail awaiting a Dec. 24 dangerousness hearing, which will determine whether he'll be held until trial.
CBS Boston reported three other women were assaulted while using ride-sharing services in Boston over the weekend. Although the attacks all happened within the same two-hour period, it's not clear they're connected. The story doesn't specify which car-sharing services were involved.
