A Lyft driver in Florida allegedly raped an intoxicated woman during a ride from a bar to her hotel, authorities said.
Kevyn Rojas, 26, was charged with sexual battery on a physically helpless victim after a Texas woman visiting Miami Beach told cops he raped her inside his car in a pre-dawn attack early Sunday.
“The allegations are that he raped her,” a state prosecutor told a judge Wednesday as Rojas appeared in court.
A judge set bond for Rojas, of Miami, at $500,000 while ordering him to stay away from the woman and turn over his Colombian and US passports, court records show.
The woman told cops her night out with a friend began late Saturday at a bar in Miami’s Wynwood where she started vomiting as she left, a Miami Beach police report stated.
The woman called the rideshare app because she became sick and Rojas came to pick her up in a Mitsubishi Galant, she said.
Rojas then made a comment about the woman’s blue dress in Spanish as she got into his car at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday. She proceeded to fall asleep, but woke up when her driver’s phone indicated he had arrived at the Berkeley Shore Hotel in Miami Beach, where she was staying, police said.
But instead of letting her out, the woman said, Rojas drove away and parked his Galant elsewhere. He then hopped in the backseat to attack her, pulling up her dress and taking off her underwear despite her telling him no several times, according to the police report.
The passenger said she was too intoxicated at the time to fight off Rojas, who stopped minutes later and returned to the woman’s hotel to drop her off, she told police.
Rojas’ court-appointed attorney could not be reached for comment. He remained jailed as of early Thursday, online records show.
Lyft has permanently barred Rojas from its platform, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and the behavior described is appalling,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The driver has been permanently removed from the Lyft community and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation in any way we can.”
If convicted, Rojas, who was arrested Tuesday at his home, faces up to 40 years to life in prison.
Other Miami residents, meanwhile shared that they try to avoid ride-share services after a night of imbibing, especially while alone.
“I try to tell them, ‘Hey, you can see your friend who can barely stand, you might as well go with them,’” one man told the station.
“It’s definitely not suggested to travel by yourself,” a woman added.
“Lyft has permanently barred Rojas from its platform, a spokesperson confirmed”.
Well that will teach him to watch his step the next time. Have a nice day, sir; sorry for the inconvenience.