UNION CITY — An Uber driver has been arrested and charged in the suspected sexual assault of a woman he had picked up last month in San Francisco and was driving to her Union City home, police said Thursday.
Kevin Barillas-Saballos, 30, of San Francisco, was arrested Tuesday at another job site where he worked in South San Francisco, police said.
Policed said that even though he had another job — they would not say what it is — he was still to their knowledge working as an Uber driver.
Police said the woman, a Union City resident, was picked up by Barillas-Saballos in the early morning hours of July 14 in San Francisco and was supposed to be driven to her home. Police said Barillas-Saballos was not officially working as a Uber driver when he picked her up.
Police Lt. Steve Mendez said the woman, who was intoxicated, was sexually assaulted near her residence.
Police said that with the assistance of Uber, they were able to eventually identify Barillas-Saballos and obtain an arrest warrant for him on numerous charges, including sexual assault, sexual battery, kidnapping, false imprisonment and making criminal threats.
“What police describe is disturbing,” an Uber spokesman said when reached for comment Thursday. “We took immediate action and removed this driver from the app as soon as we learned about this incident and will continue to work with police.”
Some ride-sharing apps often remind readers to check cars to ensure that license plates, makes and models and driver names match app display, or to ask drivers who they are picking up, and to walk away if they don’t disclose a name.
He was being held at Oakland’s Glenn Dyer jail and faces a plea hearing Friday at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice, but his bail amount was not available according to county records.
Staff writers Angela Ruggiero and George Kelly contributed to this report.