LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man is in custody after he allegedly held a woman against her will and sexually abused her during an Uber ride.
According to an arrest citation, police responded to the Germantown neighborhood Sunday evening after reports a woman had been sexually assaulted by an Uber driver.
The victim told police the driver, Raudel Veloz Cruz, locked the doors to keep her from exiting the vehicle when they arrived at her destination. Cruz allegedly dumped out the victim's purse before grabbing her and attempting to kiss her.
The victim told police she asked Cruz to let her out of the vehicle and the sexual contact was not consensual.
An Uber spokesperson issued a statement saying, "What the rider reported is extremely upsetting. We have removed the driver's access to the platform and are standing by to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
According to Uber, Cruz had been an active driver since 2019 and had no previous concerning reports.
In 2019, Uber released its safety report that showed it received 5,981 reports of sexual assault in 2017 and 2018. Among those, there were 464 reports of rape.
Cruz was arrested at his home just after midnight Monday. He is facing charges of unlawful imprisonment and sexual abuse.
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