Costa Mesa Uber driver suspected of sexually assaulting passenger

An Uber driver from Costa Mesa was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a female passenger who had fallen asleep in his van, officials said Sunday.

The incident allegedly occurred Thursday, when the woman’s friends helped her request a ride to her Santa Ana home from a company gathering because she was intoxicated, according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.

“They did all the right things, she did all the right things,” Bertagna said. “Unfortunately, she came across a sexual predator.”

An Uber driver picked up the woman in a 2016 Toyota Sienna in Huntington Beach, police said. During the ride, the woman fell asleep, and when she woke up she was being sexually assaulted in the back seat of the van on a street near her home, according to Bertagna.

“She fought him off, she broke free (and) she immediately called us,” he said. “By the time we got to the location, obviously he was gone.”

Officers worked with Uber to determine the driver’s identity, and on Saturday, police detained Angel Sanchez, 37, at his Costa Mesa home. Based on physical evidence and his statements, he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $100,000, Bertagna said.

He was released on bond early Monday, according to jail records. The Orange County district attorney’s office had not filed charges as of Tuesday afternoon.

Sanchez has been working as an Uber driver for about a year, officials said, and Santa Ana police are working with Uber and other local agencies to determine which cities he worked in. Officials said they believe Sanchez may have other victims.

An Uber representative said Tuesday that Sanchez was removed from the company’s ride-hailing app as soon as Uber became aware of the allegation.

“What the rider has reported to police is deeply troubling and will not be tolerated,” the company said in a statement. “The driver has been banned from the app. We will continue to support police with their investigation.”

Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call (714) 245-8412.

Daily Pilot staff writer Hannah Fry and Los Angeles Times staff writer Anna M. Phillips contributed to this report.