Man posing as rideshare driver accused of picking up woman and sexually assaulting her
Photos courtesy of Long Beach Police Department
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach police have arrested one man they believe is responsible for posing as a rideshare driver and sexually assaulting a passenger.
Demetrio Estrada, 29, from Compton, was arrested Wednesday on one count of kidnapping to commit rape and one count of assault with intent to commit a felony sex crime.
Estrada was arrested for an incident in August 2021, where police say a person driving a silver 2006 Honda Civic posed as a rideshare app drive, picked up a woman near a bus stop near 1st Street and the Promenade, drove her to a separate location and sexually assaulted her. Estrada has been booked to the Long Beach City Jail and is being held on $1.1 million bail.
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Detectives say they believe there may be other victims, and that Estrada frequents entertainment districts in the Long Beach area. They encourage anyone who may be a victim, or anyone who may have information to contact the department.
Crimes involving people posing as rideshare drivers aren't uncommon. Experts say some of the best ways to protect yourself are to ensure the vehicle's license plate number and vehicle description match the information in the app, and that the driver matches their photo in the app.
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