Louisiana Man Posed as Uber Driver Then Raped Passenger

BATON ROUGE, La. (KMDL-FM) - A Baton Rouge man has been taken into custody after police say he impersonated an Uber driver and sexually assaulted a woman before abandoning her on the side of an interstate.

Unsplash Via Gustavo Gandía Rivera

Suspect Allegedly Masqueraded As An Uber Driver

According to law enforcement documents via WBRZ, 28-year-old Thomas Calvin Taylor Jr. of Plaquemine, Louisiana was reportedly circling a parking area in downtown Baton Rouge on the evening of Dec. 6 when he approached a woman waiting for her legitimate rideshare pickup.

Baton Rouge authorities say Taylor struck up a conversation with the woman, falsely claiming he was her Uber driver and offering her a ride. Believing he was her driver, she entered his vehicle and they left the parking area.

Alleged Assault and Abandonment On Interstate

Once they were on the road, police records state the driver began touching the woman inappropriately and demanded sexual acts.

From WBRZ.com -

Police documents say the driver touched the victim and asked for oral sex. When she refused, he pulled out a gun.
The driver told her that if she 'wanted to live to see the end of the night, she was to do as she was told,' the warrant says.

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Investigators say the vehicle pulled to the shoulder of the interstate, where the woman was forced to perform sexual acts. Afterward, the suspect allegedly stole $100 from her wallet and left her on the side of the roadway.

Police Investigation and Arrest

The victim was transported to a local hospital, where medical personnel conducted an examination. DNA evidence collected during that examination later matched Taylor’s, and the woman identified him in a photo lineup, Baton Rouge Police Department officials reported.

ebrso.org

Thomas Calvin Taylor Jr. was arrested by U.S. Marshals and is scheduled to be booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on charges including first-degree rape, armed robbery with a firearm, and second-degree kidnapping.

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