Boston Uber Driver Charged with Rape, Kidnapping of Passenger

An Uber driver allegedly picked up a young woman in Boston on Saturday evening, Dec. 6, and then sexually assaulted her in his vehicle.

Alejandro Done, 46, of Boston, has been arraigned in Cambridge District Court on the following charges: rape, assault to rape, kidnapping and assault and battery (two counts), the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Judge Roanne Sragow held Done pending a Wednesday, Dec. 24, dangerousness hearing.

“We allege that this defendant picked up a young woman, presenting himself as the driver for a ride-sharing service and then drove her to a secluded location where he beat and sexually assaulted her,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement.

According to authorities, after Done picked up the woman, who had been out with friends, at about 7:30 p.m. that Saturday on Tremont Street, he told her that she would need to take out cash from an ATM to pay for the ride.

After Done stopped to let her use an ATM, he pulled over in a secluded area, jumped into the backseat and then beat her, choked her, locked the car doors so she couldn’t escape and covered her mouth so she couldn’t scream, authorities said. He also allegedly sexually assaulted her.

Cambridge Police investigated the incident and tracked down Done through Uber’s records. The alleged victim later identified Done as her attacker.

Authorities said it is not known yet if Done used information he gained through his position with Uber to target the victim. Uber has been cooperating with the investigation, according to authorities.

“This is a despicable crime and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim during her recovery,” Uber spokesperson Kaitlin Durkosh said in a statement. “Uber has been working closely with law enforcement and will continue to do everything we can to assist their investigation.”

Done had passed Uber’s background check.

Ryan urged ride-share users to take “precautions.”

“While these (ride-sharing) services are a convenience,” Ryan said, “and often a necessity of modern urban living, we urge everyone to take precautions to ensure they are as safe as possible.

“Confirm that the car you are getting into is the particular one you have ordered. Be cautious if the driver is asking you to do something that you understand to be against company policy, as when they request you pay by cash when you understand that the company receives payment by credit card. There are some simple steps that you can take to reduce your exposure to harm from people intent on using these worthwhile services to take advantage of victims.”