Police: Lyft Driver Accused Of Sexual Assault Of Passenger In Long Island
BAYSHORE (CBSNewYork) – A Lyft driver was arraigned on charges Monday after police say he sexually assaulted a female passenger on Sunday morning.
Suffolk County police say Hussein Saleh, 36, of Farmingville, picked up two women in Patchouge on Dec. 16, reports CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis.
Police say during the ride he allegedly sexually abused the woman who was sitting in the front passenger seat, after which one of the women called 911.
Officers responded around 3 a.m. and placed Saleh under arrest, charging him with two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree.
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"These allegations described are horrific. The safety of our community is our number one priority and we have absolutely no tolerance for this behavior on the platform," Lyft said in a statement. "Upon learning of the incident, we immediately deactivated the driver and reached out to the passenger to offer our full support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation."
Lyft encourages anyone who was involved in a safety related incident to contact police. It also has a 24/7 critical response line for passengers to call.
