More victims are speaking out after a man was arrested for allegedly posing as an Uber driver and picking up intoxicated tourists before possibly drugging and assaulting them. NBC6’s Christian Colón reports
More victims are speaking out after a man was arrested for allegedly posing as an Uber driver and picking up intoxicated tourists before possibly drugging and assaulting them.
Danny Maurad Avecillas, 49, is in jail without bond after multiple women told police he turned their night out in Miami into a tragedy.
"He made me believe that that was my Uber and said, 'Get in the car, get in the car,' and that's it. It looked exactly like the car that I was waiting for," one tourist from California said.
She said he drove her to a motel instead of her Airbnb. She woke up hours later, naked, with cash missing from her purse and multiple charges on her credit card. Her body was also in pain.
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"I have bodily injuries. I don’t know what they did to me, but like I have bruises," she said. "Right now, I’m going through like knee injuries that I might need a surgery for."
Records show Maurad Avecillas confessed that "on more than one occasion he has placed incoherent females into his vehicle, transported them to a motel and has removed their belongings to keep them safe from someone following them or tracking them," an arrest report said.
Miami Police Spokesperson Kiara Delva said Maurad Avecillas also picked up two 27-year-old women and was with them for several hours.
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"(A victim) told our detectives that it does appear that she was offered some sort of drink from the individual and that she also felt some sort of pain in her abdominal area, so she went to the hospital," Delva said.
The victims also said they felt pain, their jewelry was missing, and their credit cards had unauthorized gasoline charges.
Uber said they removed the driver's access and are working with police.
Maurad Avecillas is facing charges for kidnapping and fraud, but not sexual assault, which police say could soon change.
