A former driver for the ride-hailing service Uber has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping a woman, and has been sentenced to serve 10 to 12 years in prison.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan says 47-year-old Alejandro Done pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated rape, kidnapping, and assault and battery.
The victim had arranged for a ride from Boston to her home in Cambridge in December 2014 when Done appeared and she got into his car.
He then told her that he would need a cash payment, so he took her to an ATM.
Done then drove her to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her.
During the incident, he hit her and attempted to strangle her, locking the car doors so that she could not escape and covering her mouth so she could not scream.
‘The Massachusetts State Police crime lab then made certain that the known sample from Done matched that of the Cambridge victim,’ said Conley, according to Fox 25. ‘It was a direct link.’
The victims in all the cases gave a consistent description that resembles Done, who had no previous criminal record.
‘The real break in the case happened when state police criminalists, on their own said, ‘Let’s run his profile through the database.’ And sure enough, they got a hit,’ Conley said.
‘These cases have been worked tirelessly for the last nine years,’ State Police Superintendent Col. Richard McKeon said at the time of Done’s capture, ‘We never forgot.’
Uber said that Done was not a driver for the ride-hailing service when the Boston attacks took place and had passed a criminal background check when he was hired.
‘We are grateful that we were able to work closely with law enforcement to assist in their December 2014 investigation that has led to these additional charges,’ the company said.
Taylor Bennett, a spokesperson for the ride-sharing service Uber, issued a statement saying, ‘no one should hail or get into any vehicle on the street that is not a clearly identifiable pre-arranged transportation provider or licensed taxi.
There are strong reasons why doing so is unsafe, and therefore illegal, in the city of Boston.’
Meghan Joyce, who works as the general manager for Uber Boston, said the service has measures in place to guard against such incidents.
‘Our technology has brought an unprecedented degree of accountability and transparency to the transportation industry — with driver and vehicle information provided in-app, detailed email receipts sent after each ride, a 24/7 feedback loop, and the ability to share your journey in real time,’ the statement said.