Photo: post-gazette.com
A university professor working as an Uber driver has been arrested and charged after he harassed, kidnapped and made lewd comments to 2 female riders he had picked up at the weekend.
Pittsburgh police identify the driver as Richard Lomotey, CNN reports. A spokesperson for the force says that Lomotey faces 2 counts of kidnapping, false imprisonment and harassment, all stemming from the incident in question.
“Lomotey has also been identified as an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University's Beaver campus, according to a school spokeswoman,” CNN reports. The university says that Lomotey’s access to campus has been temporarily revoked, but they would not comment further on the situation, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The police confirm for the same media outlet that Lomotey picked up 2 women with his Uber but it soon became apparent to them that he wasn’t following the GPS instructions leading to their address. He was making lewd comments about their appearance and, at one point, he pulled over the car and told them that “you’re not going anywhere.”
He seemed determined to act on that threat, too, trying to lock the doors. One of the women managed to get out before that happened, and the other followed suit. Police arrested Lomotey later, at his home, after the two victims called the cops.
The report doesn’t say whether Lomotey has priors or a history of violence / DV. If that turns out to be the case, expect Uber to come under fire once more for failing to do a proper background check on the drivers it employs.
In a statement to CNN, Uber says that “What's been described is unacceptable.” The statement continues: “The driver's access to the app has been removed and we stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
Lomotey is due in court on May 23, but as of the time of writing, he was not available for comment. CNN couldn’t establish if he had listed an attorney to defend him, either.
“Lomotey has also been identified as an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University's Beaver campus, according to a school spokeswoman,” CNN reports. The university says that Lomotey’s access to campus has been temporarily revoked, but they would not comment further on the situation, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The police confirm for the same media outlet that Lomotey picked up 2 women with his Uber but it soon became apparent to them that he wasn’t following the GPS instructions leading to their address. He was making lewd comments about their appearance and, at one point, he pulled over the car and told them that “you’re not going anywhere.”
He seemed determined to act on that threat, too, trying to lock the doors. One of the women managed to get out before that happened, and the other followed suit. Police arrested Lomotey later, at his home, after the two victims called the cops.
The report doesn’t say whether Lomotey has priors or a history of violence / DV. If that turns out to be the case, expect Uber to come under fire once more for failing to do a proper background check on the drivers it employs.
In a statement to CNN, Uber says that “What's been described is unacceptable.” The statement continues: “The driver's access to the app has been removed and we stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement to support their investigation.”
Lomotey is due in court on May 23, but as of the time of writing, he was not available for comment. CNN couldn’t establish if he had listed an attorney to defend him, either.
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