BOSTON — An Uber driver accused of raping a female passenger in Boston over the weekend, including once while his vehicle was in motion, has been held on $100,000 bail.
Authorities say Mayanja Daudah, a Ugandan citizen, is being charged with two counts of rape and was being held on a detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
An ICE official later told Boston 25 News that an individual is only subject to removal if they are illegally present in the country. After further investigation, ICE officials determined that Daudah is in the country legally from Uganda. MassDOT said he also had a valid driver's license.
Mayanja Daudah is in court now after @MassStatePolice say he raped a woman while being her @Uber_Comms driver. Prosecutors say Daudah sexually assaulted her first time while car in motion on Storrow Drive then stopped at Hatch Shell and did it again.
— Robert Goulston (@rgoulston) April 1, 2019
ICE said they will continue to monitor Daudah's criminal proceedings.
According to State Police, the victim reported the assault happened near the Hatch Shell in Boston at around 1:15 a.m. overnight Saturday. An investigation led to the arrest of Daudah, who currently lives in Waltham.
On Monday, Daudah broke down in court as his defense attorney told the court he is the father of 12, including three sets of twins.
Prosecutors say Daudah sexually assaulted the woman while driving down Storrow Drive and then pulled over near the Esplanade and sexually assaulted her again.
"During that second alleged rape, the victim's phone rang," Suffolk County District Attorney said. "The ringing of the cell phone allowed the victim to get out of the car. She ran from the vehicle."
Prosecutors said a witness saw the woman run away from the vehicle hysterically.
In court on Monday, Daudah told police the alleged victim was "extremely" drunk and wanted to stop to smoke marijuana.
Uber released a statement over the weekend, calling the incident "horrible" and saying they immediately removed Mayanja's access to the app and stands ready to help law enforcement.
Boston Police are urging people who use Uber or other ride share apps, to get the driver's photo and license plate and send the confirmation to a friend or family member.
>> PREVIOUS: ICE places detainer on Uber driver arrested on rape charges in Boston
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
