Woman fights Uber driver as he traps her in car, tries to undress her, Florida cops say

A Florida Uber driver is accused of trapping a rider and sexually assaulting her in a parking lot, police said.

Jose Antonio Canales Sanchez, 51, picked up a woman, 32, for an early morning Uber ride on Nov. 1, according to a Nov. 2 news release from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Before they reached the drop-off point, Canales Sanchez pulled the vehicle into a parking lot, police said.

Canales Sanchez got out of the driver’s seat and moved into the backseat with the woman, according to police.

Police said Canales Sanchez “began undressing her against her will and touching her private parts,” as the woman was trapped in the vehicle.

The woman didn’t back down, police said, and started to fight him until she was able to escape.

Canales Sanchez was taken into custody later that afternoon and was charged with false imprisonment and sexual battery, police said.

This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Woman fights Uber driver as he traps her in car, tries to undress her, Florida cops say."

Irene Wright

McClatchy DC

Irene Wright is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter. She earned a B.A. in ecology and an M.A. in health and medical journalism from the University of Georgia and is now based in Atlanta. Irene previously worked as a business reporter at The Dallas Morning News.