Man charged with raping woman who got into his car thinking it was an Uber

A Worcester man was charged Wednesday in Boston with raping a woman who got into his car believing it was an Uber, according to authorities.

Qabel Najeeb, 29, was charged with one count of rape in Boston Municipal Court. He was held on $10,000 bail, ordered to wear a GPS bracelet, and observe a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew if he posts bail, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. 

Prosecutors said police responded around 4:47 a.m. on Saturday to Border Street in East Boston, where a 32-year-old woman told them she ordered an Uber when leaving a nightclub downtown several hours earlier. The original rideshare she ordered canceled, and the woman told police she got into another car that she thought was an Uber. 

The driver, who authorities said was later identified as Najeeb, drove past Boston Common, pulling among buildings near Storrow Drive where he allegedly raped the woman, according to the DA’s office. He then allegedly dropped the woman off on Border Street.

Prosecutors said investigators used video surveillance and descriptions from the woman to identify the car and driver. 

“This is a terrifying incident involving a woman who entered a vehicle with the full understanding that she was going to be delivered home in safety and a driver who took advantage of the victim and the situation,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “This is the beginning of the process of seeking justice, and we will stay beside this victim during and after this difficult time.”

Najeeb was arrested Sunday, and he is expected to return to court on November 15 for a probable cause hearing.