Crime & Safety
Driver Who Raped Woman After She Mistook His Car For An Uber Convicted By Bay Area Jury
The woman endured a harrowing ordeal and bravely helped bring her attacker to justice, prosecutors said.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A man who raped a woman in San Francisco after she got into his car, thinking it was her Uber, has been convicted, prosecutors said.
Jurors convicted Yucel Eryilmaz, 44, of rape of an unconscious person and assault with intent to commit rape, according to the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors say a woman and her sister were leaving a club in San Francisco's Mission District on Oct. 18, 2025, when they accidentally got into Eryilmaz's car, thinking it was their Uber.
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The woman sat in the front seat while her sister sat in the back, where she fell asleep, prosecutors said.
Eryilmaz started driving the women to their destination before he tried to kiss the woman in the front seat, prosecutors said.
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The woman refused to kiss him, and when they arrived at the destination, she got out of the car, prosecutors said.
Before she could wake her sleeping sister, Eryilmaz drove off and took her to a parking lot in his apartment complex where he raped her, prosecutors said.
"Video footage shows Mr. Eryilmaz pulling into the parking lot next to his apartment building, exiting the driver’s side door, going to the back of the car, sitting down and locking the door," prosecutors said. "Three hours later, the victim woke up in the back seat of Mr. Eryilmaz scared and confused, with Mr. Eryilmaz on top of her in the process of a rape."
Eventually, she was able to free herself from Eryilmaz's grasp, prosecutors said. She spent about 10 minutes on Eryilmaz's apartment roof with him and he let her use his phone to call her sister, prosecutors said.
She learned police were looking for her and ran away from Eryilmaz to call for help, prosecutors said.
"I commend the victim for her bravery, authenticity and vulnerability while she relived these terrifying events during her testimony," Assistant District Attorney Abigail Adams said in a statement. "She showed everyone in the courtroom that there is no 'correct' response to rape because trauma affects people differently. I hope the victim finds the closure and healing she needs as she attempts to put this horrific incident behind her."
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