What to Know
- A woman told Ashland police she was sexually assaulted Friday by an Uber driver after she refused his offer of $100 in exchange for sex.
- 37-year-old Jose Arevalos-Avalos, of Holliston, was charged with indecent assault and battery and attempting to pay for sexual conduct.
- Arevalos-Avalos is being detained at the Ashland Police Department and is expected to be arraigned in Framingham District Court on Monday.
An Uber driver in Massachusetts has been arrested after police allege he sexually assaulted a rider after she refused his offer of money in exchange for sex.
Thirty-seven-year-old Jose Arevalos-Avalos, of Holliston, was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or over and attempting to pay for sexual conduct following the Friday afternoon incident.
Ashland police were called around 3:30 p.m. to take a report of a sexual assault that had just occurred.
Authorities say the woman told police she was getting an Uber ride from Southboro to her job in Ashland when the driver offered her $100 for sex. Police say Arevalos-Avalos sexually assaulted her with his hand after she refused and later put the victim's hand between his legs.
Uber employees helped police identify the driver through the woman's Uber app, which showed the victim had ordered a gray Toyota Corolla with a driver named Jose.
The suspect also reportedly gave the woman his phone number as she exited the car and asked her to call him.
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The phone number and the license plate of the vehicle led police to Arevalos-Avalos, who was arrested at his apartment on North Mill Street in Holliston shortly before 11 p.m.
An Uber spokesperson said in a statement, "This is deeply upsetting and has no place on the Uber app. The driver’s access to the app has been removed and we are working with police to support their investigation."
Arevalos-Avalos is being detained at the Ashland Police Department pending a court arraignment in Framingham District Court on Monday. It is not clear if he has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations.
