Police seek rape suspect who was mistaken for ride-share driver

On Jan. 7, a woman left a Hollywood club and got inside a car, mistakenly thinking the Uber she ordered had arrived. Instead, police said, the driver took the woman “to a secluded location” and sexually assaulted her.

Police released a sketch of the suspect on Tuesday, asking for the public’s help in finding the man, who was not an Uber driver.

The man is described as between 25 and 30, 5-foot-9 and about 165 pounds. The woman said he told her that he owned an accounting business and worked with his brother, while another brother is in law enforcement, and that he “either lived or worked in the Long Beach area,” according to an LAPD news release. His car is described as “a late model four-door.”

People ordering rides from Uber, Lyft and other apps should make sure the car’s license plate matches the app and the driver matches their photo before getting into a car, said LAPD Officer Mike Lopez. License plates and photos are not always available. .

Anyone with information should call the Los Angeles Police Department’s Operation West Bureau-Sexual Assault Section at (213) 473-0447.

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.

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UPDATES:

8:35 a.m.: This story was updated to add that the victim had requested an Uber driver.

This article was originally published at 6:15 a.m.