BOSTON, MA – A Worcester resident faces charges after posing as an Uber driver and sexually assaulting a woman in Downtown Boston, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.
Qabel Najeeb, 29, appeared in Boston Municipal Court Central Division on Monday, held on $10,000 bail. Najeeb is charged with one count of rape. Conditions include a GPS bracelet and a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. if he posts bail. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for November 15.
The incident took place early Saturday morning. Boston police responded at approximately 4:47 a.m. to Border Street in East Boston, where the 32-year-old victim reported the assault.
She stated she had ordered an Uber from a downtown nightclub but it was canceled. Believing Najeeb’s vehicle to be her new Uber, she entered the car. Najeeb drove past Boston Common and pulled over near Storrow Drive, where he sexually assaulted the woman. He subsequently left her on Border Street.
Authorities identified Najeeb and his blue Toyota Corolla through video surveillance and victim descriptions. He was arrested on Sunday.
District Attorney Hayden stated the case represents a gross violation of trust. “This is the beginning of the process of seeking justice, and we will stay beside this victim during and after this difficult time,” said Hayden.