A Lyft driver is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl who flagged him down when she needed her cellphone charged in Santa Ana last month.
Police did not say exactly when the incident occurred, but indicated that the victim was in the area of 1200 North Bewley Street when she needed her phone charged.
She saw the suspect, Fredi Rojas, 30 of Orange, driving by slowly and she flagged him down to ask for a charger.
Rojas then stopped his vehicle and offered to help, but as the victim approached him, he allegedly forced her into his vehicle and drove her to a nearby parking lot, Santa Ana police detailed in a news release.
That’s where Rojas allegedly sexually assaulted the girl in his vehicle.
Afterward, Rojas drove the victim to a different location in the city and dropped her off, police said.
Rojas is a Lyft driver and was using a rental car, a white Nissan Rogue, at the time of the alleged assault.
Detectives, however, do not believe the victim was a customer.
Rojas was eventually arrested and booked on suspicion of kidnapping and sexual assault.
His bail was set at $1 million, police said.
Authorities believe Rojas may have victimized others, because of his “capacity as a Lyft driver.”
Anyone with additional information about Rojas, or believes they may have been victimized by him, is asked to contact Detective Amada Miller at 714-245-8363 or amiller5@santa-ana.org, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.