A man on parole for a 2016 sexual assault was arrested Tuesday and charged with raping a 31-year-old Uber driver just north of uptown Charlotte.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police identified the suspect as Jonathan Aquante Neal, 22.
According to CMPD, Neal used an Uber application to summon a ride from a parking lot on Albemarle Road. While riding to his destination, police said, he began to sexually assault the female driver. He then told the driver to pull over at a location in the 1000 block of N. Graham Street, where he forced her to perform a sex act, police said.
Neal did not have a weapon at the time of the assault, CMPD said, and the victim called 911 immediately after the attack.
Police arrested Neal early Tuesday after identifying him though the use of Uber technology.
“Opportunity presented itself for the suspect,” Lt. Brad Koch of CMPD told reporters at police headquarters. “The victim had no idea that she was picking up a registered sex offender.”
Neal, who is registered with the state as a sex offender, was on parole for a previous assault when the latest incident was reported.
He was charged with second-degree forceable rape, second-degree forced sex offense, sexual assault and parole violation.
According to Mecklenburg jail records, Neal was arrested in March 2016 and charged with second-degree rape. He was accused in that case of raping a 14-year-old girl at Mallard Creek High School, according to The Charlotte Observer. He was convicted in 2016 and got out of prison in April, the Observer reported.
Koch said ride-share drives and ride-share users should be careful when interacting when strangers.
“…If you’re working as a ride-share car and you don’t feel comfortable picking up that ride…do not feel obligated to continue with that fare,” he said.
