Lyft Driver Accused Of Tying Up & Raping Passenger Picked Up From River North Bar
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jul 24, 2017 7:40PM
Angelo McCoy, CPD handout.
A Chicago Lyft driver has been accused of tying up and raping a woman who called a Lyft in River North earlier this month.
Angelo McCoy, 48, of Marquette Park, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery and unlawful restraint. At his Friday arraignment, prosecutors said he kidnapped the passenger in his Lyft, a 25-year-old woman who was out drinking with friends in River North on July 7, and decided to call a Lyft around 11 p.m. After being picked up near the intersections of Clark and Hubbard streets, she fell asleep in the car, according to prosecutors.
When she woke up, she realized she was not being driven to her home. McCoy would not allow her to get out of the car, Assistant State's Attorney Melissa Howlett said according to DNAinfo, and instead drove into an alley, where he stopped driving, climbed into the backseat of the car, choked the woman and tied her hands behind her back with zip ties.
The woman allegedly screamed for help after seeing three strangers in the distance who did not respond, prosecutors said. McCoy then allegedly raped her, forced her to perform oral sex, stole her cell phone and driver's license, then drove her to the intersection of Belmont and Ashland avenues, where she was able to jump out of the car. It was 1 a.m., two hours after she had been picked up. According to the Tribune, the woman's Lyft account said she was picked up at 11:06 p.m. and scheduled to be dropped off at her destination at 11:11. She immediately got into a nearby car, whose driver helped her get to a police station. Police arrested McCoy Wednesday using information from the Lyft app.
McCoy was ordered held in jail on a bond of $900,000, according to https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170724/river-north/lyft-driver-rapes-passenger-charges-angelo-mccoy">the Tribune.
A spokesman for Lyft sent Chicagoist this statement referring to the allegations against the Lyft driver as "horrifying:"
"These allegations are sickening and horrifying. As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we deactivated the driver’s account and did everything we could to assist law enforcement. Our concern is with the victim and her well-being. We stand ready to assist law enforcement in their investigation."