According to KTLA5, five passengers were sexually assaulted and stolen from by a former Uber driver located in Central California.
Alfonso Alarcon Nunez has been convicted of 13 felonies, including three charges of rape. The 39-year-old Nunez was accused of assaulting intoxicated women in late 2017 and early 2018 in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Nunez was found guilty of following victims into their homes and assaulting them, as well as stealing their wallets, electronics and occasionally debiting their Venmo accounts, according to The Tribune.
He will be sentenced on April 26th by San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen.
Attorney contributor, Jason Amala, is an experienced sexual assault lawyer and has represented many victims who were sexually assaulted in rideshares. In an interview, we asked Bobby to share some of his insight regarding the legal rights of victims sexually assaulted by drivers employed by rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft:
"Rideshare companies provide users with a responsible alternative to driving on their own when in a compromised state. In turn, these companies must do their best to protect their customers at all costs. Passengers are at risk of being assaulted if a sexual predator is permitted to drive them home through a rideshare application."
"The protection of passengers and customers is a legal obligation that rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft must keep in mind. Safety measures like detailed background checks and mandatory cameras inside vehicles, where the driver and passengers can be seen, are essential to customers' well-being. When needed security is not provided, companies may be deemed negligent in a civil lawsuit. In cases of negligence, victims of sexual assault within rideshare programs may have grounds for a civil lawsuit and receive compensation for damages."