A 20-year-old man suspected of sexually assaulting a rideshare driver at the conclusion of the ride while he was out on bail for a similar assault was being held in county jail without bail Tuesday.
Luis Enrique Lora of Desert Hot Springs was charged with two felony counts of sexual battery and faces one sentence-enhancing allegation of committing the crime while out on bail, according to court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges Monday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Listen and subscribe to The L.A. Local podcast: your TL;DR for what's happening in Southern California
Officers responded Aug. 18 to a ride-sharing service driver's report of a sexual battery that was committed by a customer, according to the Desert Hot Springs Police Department. The driver allegedly was assaulted by the customer at the end of the ride, and the suspect then fled from the vehicle on foot.
Detectives assumed the investigation and identified Lora as the suspect before arresting him Aug. 28.
He was booked into county jail on $500,000 bail but was subsequently released on personal recognizance, according to court records. He was charged with one felony count each of sexual battery and false imprisonment, according to court records, and pleaded not guilty to the charges Aug. 30.
At around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 27, officers responded to a similar report from a rideshare driver and "based on the circumstances of the most recent assault, officers suspected the same suspect was responsible," police wrote in a statement.
Lora was identified as the suspect the following day and was arrested in the 13500 block of Don English Way, according to police.
He was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, where he remains held without bail.
Police believe there could be additional victims who may not have come forward based on information gathered by detectives and urge any other drivers who may have been victimized to call DHSPD Detective Celia Romero at 760-329-2904, ext. 394, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 760-341-6867.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok