Taxi Driver Arrested Fired After Allegedly Raping Unconscious Woman In His Cab With Roommate
SUNNYVALE (CBS SF) -- A taxi driver has been fired for allegedly raping a drunk woman after sharing alcohol with her in his cab last weekend.
Police say the woman initially called for a cab in Los Altos Sunday because she had been drinking. Then police say she and Singh agreed to buy more alcohol and drink together and drink in the cab.
At some point the woman passed out. That's when driver Navjot Singh, 29, and his roommate, Gurminder Sekhon, 30, allegedly raped her in the cab.
The victim says she eventually woke up in Sunnyvale, where one of them eventually threw her out of the cab.
An off-duty officer in the area observed the cab driving away and followed it until officers in marked patrol vehicles could conduct a traffic stop. Investigating officers later determined that at some point while the victim was unconscious, Singh had picked up Sekhon and both men had participated in the rape, according to the department.
On Wednesday, Singh was fired by his employer, Checker Cab.
"Upon learning about this tragic event we have terminated our relationship with the driver," Yellow Checker Cab Company president Lawrence Silva said. He expressed condolences for the victim and said the company is cooperating with the investigation.
KPIX 5 stopped by Checker on Tuesday, but were told the manager for more than 300 drivers at the company was gone for the day.
"I don't even know anything about that," said a company employee who did not identify himself.
Singh's manager at the cab company has since said Singh went through a routine background check during the hiring process. He was licensed to drive his cab in Mountain View and Palo Alto.
Singh was arraigned on the charges in Superior Court in San Jose on Wednesday and Sekhon will be arraigned on Friday once an interpreter for Punjabi, the language spoken in the Punjab state of India.
TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.