A 34-year-old man charged with sexually assaulting a female passenger in his vehicle while he was employed as a Lyft driver has pleaded not guilty, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Fernando Macias Morales, 34, of North Hills, was charged with one count each of kidnapping to commit a sex offense, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person and oral copulation of an intoxicated person, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Morales pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Tuesday at the Airport Courthouse. His preliminary hearing setting was scheduled for April 23. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of 32 years to life in state prison, prosecutors said.
Officers were sent to the 2900 block of Pennsylvania Avenue on Sept. 7, “regarding a sexual assault,” according to Lt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department.
“A woman reported that a Lyft driver picked her up from a restaurant in West Hollywood and sexually assaulted her during the ride home,” Aklufi said in a statement.
“The victim, a Santa Monica resident, fell asleep in the car and woke up to inappropriate touching,” she continued. “The suspect then offered to walk her to her door, which she refused. Once home, she realized several hours had passed since she was picked up.”
Santa Monica police detectives conducted an investigation, and identified the driver as Morales, who was arrested Friday in the San Fernando Valley.
Morales was being held on $500,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call Santa Monica Police Department Detective Stephanie Davis at 310-458-2201, ext. 4400; Sgt. Chad Goodwin at 310-458-8931; or the watch commander desk 24-hours a day at 310-458-8427.