Man poses as Uber driver, sexually assaults multiple women: Prosecutors

An Illinois man allegedly posed as an Uber driver so he could pick up women outside bars and rape them.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Musaab Afandi, 33, would drive to secluded alleys to commit multiple sexual assaults. Police arrested Afandi in March, after two women claimed he picked them up from Skokie bars and attacked them in separate incidents.

Prosecutors said Wednesday that Afandi was linked to five rapes, with DNA being found on three of the victims, according to the Chicago Tribune.

DNAinfo reports that the first alleged attack occurred in April 2016. The woman realized that Alfandi was taking a weird route to her home and asked to be pulled over. Instead, Alfandi jumped into the back seat and raped her, Assistant State’s Attorney Jillian Anselmo said at Wednesday’s bond hearing.

The suspect allegedly took the victim’s phone during the sexual assault, only giving it back after she promised not to call the police. Anselmo said that the woman ran several blocks before calling a friend and reporting the attack to police. DNA gathered from a rape kit reportedly matched Afandi.

Prosecutors claimed that his DNA was also found on women who were sexually assaulted in December 2016 and January 2017.

Following his arrest, police located pictures of one of the victim’s face and body in Afandi’s phone in addition to a video which captured the victim’s voice, according to the Tribune.

Afandi is charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual assault. The 33-year-old had no criminal record prior to his March arrest.

Judge David Navarro ordered Afandi held without bond on the latest charges. The Sun-Times noted that he was already held without bond for the two previous assaults.

[Featured Image: Chicago Police Department]