Police Arrest Man Suspected Of Posing As Uber Driver To Kidnap, Rape Woman
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A man suspected of posing as an Uber driver, luring a woman into his SUV in the Westlake District, then choking and raping her is in custody, police said Monday.
Dartanyun Smith, 39, of Los Angeles was arrested Saturday morning at a home in South Los Angeles, Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said.
Smith was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and rape in connection with the April 3 attack. He is being held on $1 million bail.
Investigators from the LAPD's Robbery-Homicide Division followed leads that included DNA evidence to make the arrest, Beck said at a news conference with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Smith has what authorities called an "extensive" criminal record that includes time in prison for robbery.
Officers were dispatched about 3:35 a.m. April 3 to the 1300 block of Ingraham Street in response to a report of a woman screaming. They found a man and a woman in the rear of a dark SUV, which was parked at the curb, police said.
Responding officers could see the assault in progress, and officers tried to get into the locked vehicle. Eventually, they opened fire at the suspect, who was not struck and drove off.
The woman managed to escape a few blocks away.
Beck said the suspect choked the woman to unconsciousness at least three times when she was in the SUV, but she valiantly fought back against her attacker.
Police said the woman had apparently called for an Uber driver and was waiting for the ride when the suspect pulled alongside her and asked if she was waiting for Uber. He then convinced her that he was the Uber driver, and the woman got into the vehicle, police said.
Beck said that when the attack began, the woman screamed so loud that neighbors heard the commotion and called police.
