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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 23 January 2018

Mexican Uber driver in US illegally charged with 4 rapes

CHRIS WEBER arraignment was sched- clients. DNA evidence
Associated Press uled for later Monday. helped lead detectives to
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Detectives are looking for Alarcon-Nunez, who was
Mexican Uber driver liv- potential witnesses and try- arrested at his Santa Maria
ing in the U.S. illegally was ing to determine if there home last week, Dow said.
charged Monday with rap- are additional victims in The alleged crimes are said
ing, assaulting and robbing San Luis Obispo and Santa to have occurred in De-
young women in California, Barbara counties northwest cember and January in San
prosecutors said. of Los Angeles, where the Luis Obispo, a city of about
Alfonso Alarcon-Nunez’s Alarcon-Nunez had been 45,000 with a large popula-
four alleged victims are be- driving for Uber since Sep- tion of college students.
tween 19 and 22 years old tember of last year, Dow Dow urged Uber and oth-
and three were intoxicated said. He had a valid Cali- er ride-hailing companies
when they were assaulted, fornia license issued in 2015. to beef up background
San Luis Obispo County Dis- Prosecutors said Alarcon- checks.
trict Attorney Dan Dow told Nunez solicited rides as an Uber spokesman Michael
reporters. Uber driver, targeting drunk Amodeo did not immedi-
Officials said Alarcon- women. Then he drove ately respond to an email
Nunez was not always driv- women to their homes, as- seeking comment.
ing for Uber when he picked saulted them, and stole Alarcon-Nunez returned
up those women but said property including cell- to the U.S. illegally after
the alleged crimes show phones, computers, and a voluntary deportation
that the company should jewelry, officials said. This booking photo shows Alfonso Alarcon-Nunez. California from New Mexico in 2005,
improve its driver screening He collected his fare pay- prosecutors say Alarcon-Nunez an Uber driver living in the officials said. Dow did not
process, Dow said. ments through the smart- country illegally has been charged with raping, assaulting and have details about why he
Alarcon-Nunez, 39, faces phone app Venmo to dis- robbing young women. (County of San Luis Obispo via AP) was deported or whether
10 criminal charges includ- guise his identity and his outside bars or restaurants alleged to have hap- he has a criminal record in
ing forcible rape, rape of Uber records, officials said. “jump in front of the ac- pened,” Dow said. the U.S.
an intoxicated victim, oral Alarcon-Nunez has also tual Uber driver and they Dow urged Uber users to Alarcon-Nunez’s immigra-
copulation of an intoxicat- gone by the name “Bruno will take someone unsus- make sure they are get- tion status will not have a
ed victim and first degree Diaz” and his Venmo user- pecting to their home. And ting in the car of the cor- bearing on the prosecu-
burglary. It wasn’t imme- name was “Brush Bat,” that’s a way of putting rect driver by verifying the tion, Dow said. He could
diately known if Alarcon- prosecutors said. someone at risk, and in this license plate and other face life in prison if convict-
Nunez has an attorney. His Predators in cars parked case that’s exactly what’s information provided to ed on all charges.q
15-year-old girl shot at Texas school; boy, 16, arrested

By JAMIE STENGLE Sgt. Joe Fitzgerald of the the cafeteria. Ellis County suspect fled the cafete- spokeswoman April Foran
Associated Press Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Chuck Edge said the ria, he was arrested by law said she could give no in-
DALLAS (AP) — A 15-year- The shooting happened at suspect “engaged the vic- enforcement on school formation. When asked
old student in Texas was about 7:50 a.m. in the Italy tim” and fired several shots grounds. Edge said the whether the suspect had
injured in a shooting in High School cafeteria. from a semi-automatic handgun was recovered any previous disciplinary
her high school cafete- “In a small town, the school .380 handgun before be- at the scene and is in evi- issues at the school, Joffre
ria Monday morning and district is the center of what ing confronted by a school dence. Edge said he did said the district cannot re-
a 16-year-old boy, also a goes on for our kids and this district staffer and fleeing. not yet know what charges lease such information.
student at the school, was morning’s tragedy hits the Edge did not say at the the suspect might face. He Joffre said school will be in
taken into custody, sheriff’s heart of this community,” Monday afternoon news also said he was currently session Tuesday and grief
officials said. said Lee Joffre, superinten- conference how many not aware of a motive in counselors will be on cam-
The girl was airlifted to Park- dent of the Italy Indepen- times the victim was shot. the shooting and did not pus. Italy, which promotes
land Memorial Hospital in dent School District, which Officials have said that they know where the suspect itself as “The Biggest Little
Dallas following the shoot- has about 600 students. don’t know the relationship acquired the firearm. Town In Texas,” has about
ing in the small town of Joffre said that on a typical between the victim and Edge referred questions 2,000 residents and is locat-
Italy, some 45 miles (70 kilo- morning, there would be shooter. on the girl’s condition to ed just off Interstate 35 be-
meters) south of Dallas, said about 45 to 55 students in Edge said that after the the hospital, and Parkland tween Dallas and Waco.q