Uber driver arrested for sexual assault WASHINGTON - A 35-year-old Uber driver has been arrested for allegedly raping a 20-year-old customer last year.
Anouar Habib Trabelsi, of Alexandria, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree sexual assault for the Dec. 8 attack.
Authorities say the victim was raped in the driveway of her Cleveland Park home, The Washington Post reports. She told police she had already paid the $36 fare when Trabelsi came up behind her and grabbed her arms. She said she fell to the ground, hit her head and was sexually assaulted.
She was taken to the hospital later that night.
Uber D.C. says the driver was immediately suspended after police alerted the company. He has not completed any rides since the incident.
"We have worked closely with the police and prosecutors investigating this incident, and will continue to help them in any way possible," Uber says in a statement. "The safety of our users is absolutely paramount, and we will continue to be vigilant that riders' safety and security are protected."
The private taxi service does not hire its own drivers, but partners with independent drivers who use the company's technology to transport passengers.
A representative would not say if Uber conducts its own background checks before bringing on new drivers.
source:
http://www.wtop.com/41/3251107/Uber-dri ... l-assault-