Another Woman Sues Uber For Sexual Assault In Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA — A woman is suing to hold Uber accountable for an alleged sexual assault committed by a an Uber driver in 2017. Hers is the latest of multiple Los Angeles cases alleging sexual assault by an Uber driver.

In this case, the woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver while she was intoxicated.

The woman is identified only as Jane Doe in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed Wednesday, alleging sexual battery, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and both intentional and negligent misrepresentation. The suit seeks unspecified damages.

"Uber collected and retained a fee for the Uber trip which resulted in a sexual assault...," the suit states.

An Uber representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The plaintiff attended a wedding at a banquet hall in Glendale on Aug. 19, 2017, and became intoxicated, the suit states. A friend arranged for an Uber driver to take the woman to her home less than a mile away, the suit states.

The woman was picked up by the Uber vehicle about 1:10 am. and her friend told the non-English speaking driver in Armenian, "Get her home safe," the suit states.

However, instead of taking the woman home, he drove her to a service station and convinced her to ride in the front seat of his vehicle, saying he wanted to give her some water, the suit states.

The driver then began trying to kiss the woman on her neck and face despite her protests, the suit states. He then drove her to a side street, stripped off her clothes and inappropriately touched her as she begged to be taken home, according to the complaint.

He later dropped off the plaintiff near her home and drove away, the suit states. But the woman, "hysterical (and) openly weeping," sat at a bus stop, where a passing police officer stopped to check on her and then took her to get medical care, the suit states.

The driver was arrested and charged with three felonies, including sexual battery by restraint, but he failed to appear in court and a bench warrant was issued, the suit states. The plaintiff believes he fled the country, according to her suit.

The ridesharing company and its drivers are facing several allegations of rape or sexual battery in Los Angeles.

In 2017 a Los Angeles woman sued the company alleging it was responsible for her rape in 2014 by an Uber driver. In that case, the woman used her smart phone on July 21, 2014, to summon an Uber driver after having drinks with friends. She asked for a ride to her boyfriend's residence, but never arrived, according to her lawsuit, which alleges that she was raped by her Uber driver while she was unconscious.

Taylor said in a televised interview that when she woke up, she saw a condom wrapper on her nightstand and that her toilet seat had been left up. The driver, Walter Alberto Ponce, pleaded no contest to sexual battery and was sentenced to six months in jail and probation.

Last year, another woman Sued Uber for her alleged rape by an Uber driver/convicted felon at a North Hollywood motel.

"Plaintiff joins ... hundreds of other female victims who had been sexually assaulted by Uber drivers -- possibly thousands -- around the world," the suit alleges.

In that case Alaric Spence,was charged with one felony count each of kidnapping to commit rape, rape of an unconscious person and rape by use of drugs, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors allege that Spence picked up the woman in downtown Los Angeles June 23, drove her to the motel and carried her from his car into the room, where he raped her. The woman was intoxicated and unconscious at the time of the alleged attack, according to Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller.

When her suit was filed, Uber spokesman Andrew Hasbun released a statement regarding the complaint that reads, in part: "What the rider reported to police is horrifying and has no place anywhere in our society. Our hearts are with the victim."

City News Service