LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — Pennsylvania State Police arrested a rideshare driver accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a passenger, and troopers are asking any possible victims to come forward.
In a press release, troopers alleged that on Tuesday, Edwin Valentin Perez, 39, of Hazle Township, sexually assaulted a male victim while working as a rideshare driver for Lyft.
“The accused provided some kind of inhalant substance which incapacitated [the victim] and then he was sexually abused by the Lyft driver" said Trooper Bill Evans, the public information officer for the Pennsylvania State Police Troop P.
Valentin Perez was taken into custody on Wednesday without incident and remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
According to police, Valentine Perez had been operating a red 2012 Toyota RAV 4 while working as a Lyft driver.
Previously, while working for Uber, Perez became known to police for an incident of harassment and disorderly conduct.
Anyone who suspects that they may have been a victim of a crime under similar circumstances, or has any information about this incident, is being asked to contact the Troop P Wilkes-Barre Criminal Investigation Unit at 570-822-5515.
A spokesperson with Lyft issued the following statement to FOX56 regarding the incident:
“The behavior described is reprehensible and has no place in the Lyft community or society. We contacted the rider to offer support, have permanently banned the driver from the Lyft platform, and stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation.”- Lyft Spokesperson
Ride Share users are reminded to take caution when entering vehicles, and to be alert throughout the duration of the ride. Troopers encourage riders to check if the windows and doors of the vehicle are locked as they are entering and let someone know about the trip.
“One thing you can also do during the course of a ride share is to stay on the phone with somebody that way there’s somebody else who knows you’re okay during the course of your ride. Have them stay on the phone with you until you get to the door of your destination," Trooper Evans explained.
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