Homeless Man Sexually Assaulted Cab Driver: Police

A homeless man sexually assaulted and tried to rape a female cab driver Tuesday night after the taxi crashed into a fence in Mount Sinai, police said.

Francis Barrios, a registered sex offender who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl in 2004, is charged with first degree criminal sexual act, first degree attempted rape, second degree strangulation and third degree assault.

According to police, a cab driver picked up Barrios at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson. During a trip to a unspecified location, Barrios began assaulting the cab driver, causing the taxi to crash into a fence on Mount Sinai-Coram Road in Mount Sinai around 7:40 p.m.

Following the crash, Barrios sexually assaulted the driver, police said.

Barrios was arrested and held overnight at the Sixth Precinct for arraignment Wednesday.