Uber driver accused of raping passenger at Anaheim motel

Sid Garcia Image
Friday, March 18, 2016
Uber driver accused of raping passenger at Anaheim motel
An Uber driver is facing charges of raping a woman after he drove her back to her motel.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- An Uber driver is accused of raping a woman after he picked her up following a night of drinking last fall.

The driver, Omar Mahmoud Mousa, 52, picked up two women in October and brought them to a bar in Fullerton, Orange County prosecutors say.

He gave the women a business card with his personal cellphone and asked them to call him directly rather than use the app when they were ready to go home.

After their night of drinking, he brought the women back to their motel in Anaheim. One woman passed out on the bed. Deputy District Attorney Rick Zimmer said Mousa attacked the other woman, raping her as she pleaded with him and tried to fight him off.

Mousa was out of the country when forensic test results returned eight weeks later. He was arrested after he arrived back in Los Angeles on March 7.

"Uber has a zero-tolerance policy for violent behavior, and our thoughts are with the victim of this atrocious crime," Uber said in a statement to L.A. Times. "We immediately blocked this individual's access to the Uber platform upon learning of this incident and actively assisted law enforcement in their investigation."

Mousa remains in custody at the Orange County jail, with bail set at $100,000. If convicted, he faces up to 24 years in state prison. His next court appearance is in April.

Prosecutors believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information is urged to call Supervising District Attorney Investigator Mark Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.