San Jose rideshare driver arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting teen passenger
San Jose rideshare driver arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting teen passenger
A rideshare driver in San Jose was arrested earlier this month after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage boy who was riding in his car.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A rideshare driver in San Jose was arrested earlier this month after allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage boy who was riding in his car.
San Jose sexual assault
What we know:
San Jose police say officers responded to the 100 block of Paseo de San Antonio just after 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 after receiving a report of a sexual assault.
The boy was traveling alone in the suspect's car when the alleged sexual assault occurred, police said.
"The preliminary investigation revealed that a juvenile male survivor was utilizing a rideshare service when the driver – the suspect – sexually assaulted the juvenile," said SJPD spokesperson Stacie Shih in a media briefing.
Shih said the fact that the survivor called 911 immediately helped police to quickly track down the suspect in the case.
Anuj Kumar, 32, of Foster City was arrested Sept. 13 in connection to an alleged sexual assault that occurred while he was driving as a rideshare driver in San Jose. (Photo: San Jose Police Department)
Rideshare driver arrested
Local perspective:
With the help of automated license plate cameras, police tracked down the alleged perpetrator's car and identified the suspect as 32-year-old Anuj Kumar, of Foster City.
Kumar was arrested on a single charge of sexual assault of a minor.
He's being held in the Santa Clara County jail.
Erica Villa, the associate director at Next Door Solutions in San Jose, works with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
Villa advises parents and guardians of teens to always create a safety plan when using rideshares.
"When you don’t feel safe, when you don’t feel comfortable in the ride, who can you call at that moment?" Villa told KTVU. "What can you do in order to provide that distraction or to feel comfortable and also like – knowing how to stop the ride if they start feeling uncomfortable."
What we don't know:
Police did not share the rideshare provider the suspect was driving for at the time of the alleged incident.
The Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office said it is still reviewing this case and formal charges have not yet been filed.
Because of the nature of the case, police believe there may be other victims.
Potentially other victims, police say
What you can do:
Those with information on this case or related cases are asked to contact the San Jose Police Department's sexual assault investigation unit by email at 4684@sanjoseca.gov or by phone at 408-277-4102.
The Source: Information in this story came from the San Jose Police Department.