Man Posing as Uber Driver Allegedly Raped Woman on American University’s Campus

A man posing as an Uber driver in Washington, DC, is in custody after he allegedly raped a woman on American University’s campus.

Authorities arrested El Houcine Jourhdaly, 36, of Springfield, Virginia, and charged him with felony first-degree sexual abuse, WTOP reports.

D.C.’s Metropolitan Police said that the incident took place Sunday morning between 3:20 a.m. and 3:50 a.m. at a building near the center of campus.

“At approximately 3:23 a.m., the victim received a ride, in what she believed was a vehicle for hire, from the suspect. When the suspect arrived at the listed location, he ordered the victim to exit the vehicle and then sexually assaulted her,” D.C.’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Police say the 21-year-old victim got into an argument with her boyfriend after a night of drinking when Jourhdaly booted the boyfriend from his vehicle and raped the victim “with an unknown body part.”

Uber told WUSA that the suspect used to work for the ride-sharing company, but Uber permanently banned him from driving for the app two years ago.

Police say that, although Jourhdaly was not authorized to drive for Uber, he kept an Uber sticker on his Honda Civic.

Authorities do not believe that the suspect and the victim knew each other.

Other Uber drivers, and people who have posed as Uber drivers, have allegedly committed sex crimes against passengers.

An Uber driver from Massachusetts, who was in the country illegally, skipped town in May after he allegedly raped a female college student on three occasions.

In that same month, a man in Rhode Island allegedly posed as an Uber driver to sexually assault a 15-year-old girl.

In August, a Chicago Uber driver was arrested after he allegedly locked his 19-year-old victim in his car and demanded sex from her in lieu of payment for the ride.