Police in Clovis, California are hunting a man suspected of a sexual assault on a woman whilst he posed as a rideshare driver in April, according to local outlet KFSN-TV.
Authorities said they are searching for 27-year-old Bikramjit Singh, who masqueraded as an Uber driver, attempting to pick up people as they left a bar. He is wanted for kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual assault. Police said the assault took place in Fresno.
KFSN reported that investigators also said that Singh, who used his roommate's vehicle to carry out the crime, told the victim he had previously committed similar crimes.
The Clovis Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Newsweek.
Uber told Newsweek that it was working with the Clovis Police Department and that the suspect was not a driver on the platform.
In 2019, Uber launched an in-app reminder and push notification that instructs riders to make sure any car details match what is in the app before getting into the vehicle.
Uber also requires all potential drivers to go through a background check process, which checks MVR and criminal offenses at the local and federal level, and also monitors new offenses. Drivers are re-screened annually.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Update, 5/10/24, 12:05 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Uber.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Joe Edwards is a Live News Reporter in Newsweek's London bureau.
