A Massachusetts Uber driver has been accused of sexually harassing a passenger and locking her in a car.
Kastriot Naksi of West Roxbury, Massachusetts was arraigned on Thursday after he was charged with assault and kidnapping on Wednesday. He was ordered to be held without bail until Dec. 7, when another scheduled hearing will determine if he poses a threat to the public, reports the Patriot Ledger.
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Prosecutors say the 46-year-old was driving the victim from Roslindale to Quincy at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday. He stopped his car at one point during the trip and asked her to sit in the front seat. She did so, thinking he was picking up another passenger.
Assistant District Attorney Moira Daly said Naksi put his hands on the woman’s thigh and between her legs. He also told her he loved her and wanted them to get married. The woman asked to get out of the car, but he allegedly locked the door and continued driving.
The “terrified” woman recorded the assault with her phone and texted a friend she was meeting in Quincy. The friend called Quincy police and the car was located in 20 minutes.
“What’s been described is deeply concerning. Upon learning of this, we immediately removed the driver’s access to the app and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation in any way we can,” an Uber spokesman said Thursday.
WBZ reports that Naksi’s family was in the court room Thursday. They told reporters there must have been a misunderstanding between the driver and passenger. They said he came to the U.S. from Albania.
“I have been married to him for 23 years and I know what kind of husband I have. So that is impossible for him to do,” his wife, Monika, said.
“The quote unquote victim, she can just say something to police and they believe it, he comes into custody. He might risk losing his job now,” his son, Kledion, said.
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