A North Fort Myers Uber driver was charged with sexual battery after attacking a rider shortly after dropping her off. On December 10, 2022, Lee County deputies arrived at the Ashland Apartments at around 4 AM in response to a sexual battery.
Florida Uber Driver Charged with Sexual Battery After Assaulting Riding He’d Just Dropped Off
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Felix Manuel Torres (37) slipped on a mask and pounced on the victim who was heading to her front door. After sexually assaulting the victim, he stole her phone and fled. Surveillance footage pointed authorities in the direction of Torres who was at home by this point.
Torres admitted to being an Uber driver and driving the victim home that morning. Sheriff Carmine Marceno said that while Torres appeared genuine in wanting to help, after the video was mentioned his tone changed.
A search warrant turned up enough evidence to link Torres to the attack and he was hit with sexual battery charges. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 9, 2023.
Sheriff Marceno had some things to say about driving services, the law, and the safety of riders:
“Lyft and all the other companies, they create their own policies and procedures. That’s not law enforcement. It’s not the County Sheriff’s Office. The one thing we want is, we want to make sure that our residents and people understand the risks when they get in a vehicle and they’re not the ones in control.”
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