A rideshare driver accused of sexually assaulting a passenger on New Year’s Eve 2023 has been detained pending trial, according to a Cook County judge’s order.
Prosecutors say Jose Alarcon Gonzales, 37, was working as a Lyft driver when he picked up a woman who had ordered a ride after leaving a bar early on December 31, 2023. Not long into the trip, the woman noticed Gonzales was going the wrong way and confronted him, according to a detention petition.
She eventually fell asleep, but awoke later and found they were still off course. When she demanded Gonzales stop the car, she discovered the rear windows and doors were locked. The woman struggled to escape—kicking, pounding, and pulling at the doors—but could not get out, prosecutors said.
Gonzales ultimately pulled over in the 3700 block of North Narragansett Avenue, climbed into the back seat, and lay on top of her, according to the petition. Prosecutors said he proceeded to rip off her clothes and sexually assault her.
The woman kicked Gonzales and finally managed to escape from the car.
Chicago police detectives subpoenaed Lyft records, which confirmed the woman had ordered the ride with the correct pickup and drop-off locations, prosecutors said. A subsequent DNA test allegedly found Gonzales’s DNA on the woman’s underwear.
Judge Susana Ortiz granted the detention petition.
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