An Uber driver accused of raping an intoxicated passenger pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony charge.
Angel Sanchez, 36, of Costa Mesa, was ordered to return to court May 26 for a pretrial hearing.
The woman attended a March 30 company gathering in Newport Beach, where alcohol was served, and friends used the Uber ridehailing service to get her a ride home, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Sanchez picked her up in a 2016 Toyota Sienna, drove her to a street near her home in Santa Ana and raped her in the vehicle, prosecutors allege. The woman, whose name was withheld, fled the van when she realized what was happening and called 911, according to authorities.
Sanchez, who is charged with a felony count of rape of an intoxicated victim, had been driving for Uber for about a year, according to police.
The 37-year-old Costa Mesa resident, who was arrested by Santa Ana police at his home on April 1, was released from jail two days later after posting $100,000 bail.
—City News Service