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A Lyft driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger during a ride to a medical appointment is also reportedly being targeted by U.S. Immigration officials for deportation due to his illegal status in the country.
Yordan Diaz Vera, a 34-year-old resident of Louisville, faces charges of first-degree sodomy, menacing, and kidnapping, according to the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD). These details were reported by Fox News Digital, which reviewed the police records.
Federal officials believe Diaz Vera is eligible for deportation, as an immigration detainer has been placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), based on police documentation.
However, Fox News noted that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet provided confirmation regarding Vera’s immigration status.
The alleged incident took place in early February, with the victim, a mother of four, informing authorities that she had booked a Lyft ride from her Louisville residence to a chiropractor’s office.
According to police reports, Diaz Vera allegedly retrieved a gun from the vehicle’s glove box after picking up the woman, then pulled into a church parking lot where he joined her in the back seat.
When she tried to escape, she found the door locked and was forced into sexual acts, authorities said.
Her chiropractor called the police for her when he dropped her off at his office, according to her attorney.
The incident occurred on February 4. Vera was arrested the next day in a supermarket parking lot.
Vera has pleaded not guilty and is being held at Metro Corrections on a $100,000 cash bond as well as the immigration detainer, WDRB recently reported, with the case expected to go to a grand jury in March.
The victim’s attorney also told WLKY, another Louisville TV news outlet, that Vera is from Cuba and came to the U.S. illegally in 2022. But he also said the driver had a work permit and was waiting on a hearing to gain legal status at the time of his arrest.
If he was indeed in the country illegally, his ability to obtain the necessary documentation to drive for the rideshare service remains unclear.
Lyft reportedly requires drivers to meet certain requirements, including having insurance, a driver’s license, and a valid Social Security number.
“The behavior described is reprehensible and has no place in the Lyft community or society,” a company spokesperson told the news outlets in a statement. “We have permanently removed the driver from the Lyft platform and are assisting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime bestseller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
