Fake Santa Clarita Rideshare Driver Charged With Rape Of 7 Women
ALHAMBRA (CBSLA) – A Santa Clarita man will be arraigned next week in Los Angeles County Superior Court on allegations he raped seven women over a 15-month period while posing as a rideshare driver.
Nicolas Morales, 44, separately sexually assaulted seven women between October 2016 and January 2018, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office reports.
He was arrested Feb. 23 by Alhambra police. It was not immediately confirmed which rideshare company he falsely claimed to work for.
Some of the attacks occurred in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Alhambra and Los Angeles, according to prosecutors. Morales also threatened several of the victims with a knife.
Last May, Los Angeles police released a sketch of suspect accused of sexually assaulting a woman who got into his vehicle in Hollywood thinking it was a rideshare service. The attack occurred Jan. 7, 2017.
Alhambra police reported that they began investigating the case when a woman reported being raped on Dec. 30, 2017, after being picked up by a rideshare driver in Los Angeles. Using forensic evidence, Alhambra police detectives identified Morales as the suspect. He was then linked to several other unsolved sexual assault, police said.
Morales is facing 27 counts including forcible oral copulation, rape, sodomy and attempted kidnapping. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 300 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors are asking that his bail be set at more than $10 million.
A member of Morales' family told CBS2 News they would not be commenting on the case.
