Philadelphia UberX Driver Charged With Raping Passenger Is Also a Cab Driver

Mugshot of rape suspect Abdellah Elkaddi

UberX driver Abdellah Elkaddi of Northeast Philadelphia has been charged with raping a 24-year-old female passenger in his car during a ride in June.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the West Norriton Police Department, Elkaddi, 46, picked the young woman up in Philadelphia just after 11 p.m. on June 10th, a Wednesday night. She directed Elkaddi to take her to a train station in Norristown, where she had left her car.

When they arrived to the train station, her car was gone, and she asked Elkaddi to bring her to the Norristown Police Department, so she could find out if police had towed her car. Elkaddi followed her into the station, where he was captured on surveillance video, and after 20 minutes with no answers regarding her car, Elkaddi and the woman left. She asked him to bring her home.

According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint, the woman told police that she must have fallen asleep during the ride to her house and that when she awoke, the car was parked and Elkaddi was touching her genitals and breast. She further alleged that Elkaddi then pulled down his pants and forcibly penetrated her as she screamed, “Get off me! What are you doing? Get off of me!” He eventually stopped and told her he would bring her home.

As he drove, the woman recognized where she was and directed him to a location that turned out to be the West Norriton Police Department. She claims that he asked to drive her home instead, but she demanded to get out of his car. She ran inside the police station around 1 a.m. and gave a statement to police.

Investigators viewed the surveillance video from the Norristown police station and matched it up with the receipt from the woman’s Uber app, which provided the driver’s first name, vehicle make and model, and license plate number. The police ran his information through a database and turned up their suspect’s full name and address.

Elkaddi was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault, among other alleged offenses. He remains in Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 2nd.

Uber says they assisted police with the investigation and that Elkaddi’s driver privileges were suspended immediately.

According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which has jurisdiction over Philadelphia taxis but not UberX, Elkaddi is currently registered with the PPA as a cab driver and they are in the process of revoking his license.

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