A former Denver Lyft driver has been charged with sexually assaulting a number of ladies over the course of just about 4 years, the district legal professional stated Wednesday.
John Pastor-Mendoza, 41, of Denver, allegedly assaulted or tried to assault 10 ladies who had requested rides, Denver District Legal professional Beth McCann stated in a press release.
An arrest warrant affidavit filed by Denver police detailing a number of the instances says the ladies stated they hailed rides after ingesting, largely at bars, after which awoke to being sexually assaulted.
Pastor-Mendoza was arrested Aug. 19 and was being held with out bond Wednesday evening, in response to the arrest warrant affidavit and on-line jail information.
It was not clear if he had an legal professional who may converse on his behalf.
Lyft confirmed that he had labored for the corporate.
“The conduct described is totally appalling, and the motive force has been completely faraway from the Lyft group,” a Lyft spokesperson stated Wednesday. “We’ve been in contact with regulation enforcement to help with their investigation and stand prepared to supply help in an ongoing capability.”
The district legal professional’s workplace stated the assaults or tried assaults occurred between Sept. 16, 2018, and July 9, 2022.
Pastor-Mendoza is charged with 41 counts, the district legal professional’s workplace stated, together with 10 counts of kidnapping his sufferer to commit a sexual offense; 30 counts of both sexual assault or tried sexual assault; and one depend of theft.
It’s not clear if Pastor-Mendoza was truly the motive force employed by the victims.
In a single case, a lady from Boulder requested a trip and the app confirmed a lady driver could be arriving. However the lady bought right into a automotive allegedly pushed by Pastor-Mendoza, and when her pals informed the motive force to attend so they may be a part of the trip, the automotive left with out them when their backs have been turned, the doc says.
In one other case cited within the affidavit, the sufferer requested an Uber.
Uber stated Pastor-Mendoza has by no means been a driver for the corporate.
“The suspect has by no means used the Uber platform to drive and has by no means been a driver,” Uber spokesperson Navideh Forghani stated in an e-mail.
Proof from an assault in March matched a DNA profile from proof in two earlier instances, exhibiting it was the identical man concerned, the affidavit says.
In August, after police believed instances have been linked, a detective contacted a Denver nightclub the place a number of the ladies had been picked up. Individuals there acknowledged the outline as an everyday patron who was a Lyft driver and stated they’d report sightings to police, the affidavit says.
Days later, photographs of Pastor-Mendoza at a membership, his ID, and his automotive have been despatched to police, the affidavit says, however who supplied them is redacted. A sufferer additionally allegedly picked his picture in a photograph array, it says.
Police are asking for some other victims to return ahead.
Each Lyft and Uber say that riders ought to affirm the license plate, automobile and driver — and ask the motive force who they’re there to select up — earlier than getting in a automobile.
