Alfonso Alarcon Nunez a former Uber driver was sentenced to 46 years to life in prison for sexual assault and robbing his passengers in 2017 and 2018.The incidents occurred in the counties of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
He was convicted for 13 felonies that included three charges of rape. California prosecutors said that Alarcon-Nunez was living in the country illegally and was working as an Uber driver. He was charged with raping, assaulting and robbing young women.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow had stated that all of the alleged victims were aged 19 to 22 years old. Three of the victims were intoxicated when they were assaulted by Alarcon-Nunez.
The prosecutors said that the defendant would drive the victims to their homes, followed them inside and sexually assaulted them.
He would steal their wallets, phones and jewelry. In some cases, he debited their Venmo accounts for the taxi fares to cover up his Uber connection.
The victims shared their stories in the court of how the assaults caused them trauma and forced them to seek treatment for long-lasting trauma. Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen announced an additional sentence of eight years and eight months which Alarcon-Nunez must be served first. He has to serve the complete 54 years and 8 months sentence.
In 2010 ridesharing and cab services companies like Uber, Lyft etc. started their operations. Today they are servicing more than 630 cities globally. With the growing dependency on cab services, there has been a rise in crimes too related to cab services.
Unlike the taxi cab companies, private ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft do not have to run specific government background checks while hiring their drivers.
As a result, thousands of passengers are at a risk as the drivers employed by these companies may be dangerous and not appropriate for driving people around. People hire Uber and Lyft cabs to drive them from one destination to another. However, there are instances when they are assaulted or robbed by these cab drivers.
If you or your family member was sexually assaulted by an Uber or Lyft driver do not feel afraid. You are not alone, we are by your side. We at Khashan Law believe you and will represent you in your fight for justice.
Who can be held liable in an Uber sexual assault case?
If an Uber driver is found guilty of sexual assault by the jury, Uber Company also can be held liable for the assault depending on the circumstances. A professional personal injury lawyer can help investigate the circumstances and help determine whether a claim should be filed against the driver or Uber or both the parties.
A lawyer can help obtain the required information from Uber to determine if there was any negligence on the part of Uber while hiring the driver. Even though the driver may have assaulted the victim,
if the lawyer can prove that the driver had a history of sexual assault or history of any heinous crimes earlier and Uber still hired the driver without checking his history, then Uber too can be held liable for the assault as they were negligent while hiring.
If you have been a victim of Uber Sexual Assault, call us at (951) 461-2387 for a free, confidential consultation. Our team of experienced lawyers at Khashan Law will ensure that you receive full compensation for your present and future damages.