Police arrested a Seattle-area man after he allegedly impersonated a ride-hailing driver and raped a woman who entered his vehicle.
CNN reported that Israel Ramos-Islas, 34, turned himself in on Wednesday after relatives recognized his face in news reports.
The incident happened December 16, when the victim left a Ballard bar after midnight and the suspect convinced the woman that he was her ride-hail driver. He then raped the victim in the White Center area and dropped her off.
The King County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance footage of the suspect earlier this week, seeking help from the public to identify the suspect. The office also on Friday created a Reddit account and opened a thread to identify other potential victims. “At this point in the investigation we believe that the suspect may have committed or attempted to commit similar acts numerous times in the greater Seattle area,” the post reads.
Last month, Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student, was murdered after getting into a car she thought was her Uber ride.
Uber advises customers to check the license plate, driver photo, and driver name on the app before getting into a ride. Here are some tips for staying safe while taking Uber or Lyft, per MarketWatch.
