While he’s currently facing fraud charges for allegedly using the woman’s credit card to pay for a hotel room she woke up in disoriented and naked, police suspect him of more criminal behavior and “possibly more victims.”
A man initially arrested on fraud charges is suspected of far more nefarious, criminal behavior after a woman who got into the wrong Uber woke up “disoriented,” “confused” and naked in a Miami area motel.
Danny Estalin Maurad-Avecillas, 49, was arrested by the Miami Police Department over the weekend and charged with two counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card and one count of Fraudulent Possession of Identification.
“The investigation involves a ride share driver, in a silver or black SUV who is suspected of targeting females in the evening hours waiting for their ride share, luring them in, intoxicating, robbing and possibly sexually assaulting them,” police added in a press release, though he hasn’t been formally charged with anything else at this time.
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According to the arrest affidavit, via CBS News, the victim is a woman who was visiting Miami from California. After a night out in South Beach, one of her friends ordered them an Uber home; while their driver was in a gray Honda HR-V, the victim instead got into a gray Chevrolet Traverse — despite a friend saying it was the wrong vehicle. The car then drove off.
The victim “woke up naked” the next day at a motel, with no memory of what happened, bruises and pain in her pelvic area, per police. She called authorities and throughout the investigation realized there were several unauthorized transactions on her credit card — including one for the motel in which she woke up and a nearby gas station.
CCTV from the gas station showed a man, later identified as Maurad-Avecillas, using a credit card before pumping gas as the victim sat in the front seat. Different security footage then showed him trying to use the same card at the motel, before being told he needed an ID to use the card. He went back to the car and returned with the victim’s ID. A person working at the motel said they had to assist Maurad-Avecillas and the victim — who seemed “intoxicated” — to the room.
The Chevy was then linked back to Maurad-Avecillas, before he was arrested.
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According to Uber, Maurad-Avecillas did work for them but was not on the clock at the time of the incident.
“There are no words to describe this sickening behavior,” an Uber spokesperson told CBS. “We removed the driver’s access as soon as this was reported to us and are supporting law enforcement with their investigation.”
During a Zoom court appearance over the weekend, the victim spoke to the suspect — saying, “You made me believe that that was my Uber.”
“I don’t know what they did to me … The injuries that I have, there is no way, if I was not drugged that I would have been able to tolerate the pain,” she said. “Right now, I’m going through like knee injuries that I might need a surgery for.”
Have you been a victim of this uber driver?
We have currently made an arrest involving this uber driver and his suspected activities. We believe that there are possibly more victims and we are seeking any information that you may have involving this person. pic.twitter.com/iNZMjZmd75
— Miami PD (@MiamiPD) February 26, 2024
@MiamiPD
The investigation continues, with authorities announcing Monday that they are looking for other potential victims in the case. In a video shared to the Miami police department’s social media page, they asked, “Have you been a victim of this uber driver?”
“We have currently made an arrest involving this uber driver and his suspected activities. We believe that there are possibly more victims and we are seeking any information that you may have involving this person,” they captioned the video.
In the footage, the officers confirm it’s an open investigation and said they “do believe there’s other victims out there and this individual will be facing other charges.” Urging others to “please come forward,” they also issued a warning to anyone using a ride share app.
“When you do order some sort of a ride share, verify the information. Verify the tag, verify the driver’s information before you get in,” they said. “Do not take any sort of drink, candy from any Uber drivers. You are simply there to get a ride. We’ve seen cases like this in the past, some have even had deadly consequences.”
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