Uber Driver Could Get 28 Years in Can for Alleged Rape of Teen Passenger

A 23-year-old Uber driver has been charged with raping an unconscious teen girl in Laguna Beach, according to prosecutors.

Samer Alaaeldin Mahran of Huntington Beach was charged Tuesday with felony rape by use of drugs, felony forcible oral copulation upon a minor over 14 years of age, felony sexual penetration of a child over age 14 by foreign object and force and felony unlawful sexual intercourse.

Around 2 a.m. on Saturday, the 17-year-old was near a bar in Huntington Beach, where a family member ordered an Uber ride to drive the girl home to Laguna Beach.

Mahran picked the girl up but, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office, he did not drop her off at the requested destination.

This caused the family member to grow concerned, and another relative used the Uber application's tracking feature to find the girl—in the back seat of Mahran's car, which was parked near her home, prosecutors say.

“Mahran is accused of knowing the victim was 17 years old and sexually assaulting her by raping, digitally penetrating and orally copulating her without consent while she was unconscious due to intoxication,” reads an OCDA arraignment statement.

“The defendant is accused of climbing into the driver's seat of his car and fleeing the scene as the relative helped Jane Doe out of his car.”

The teen's family member called 9-1-1, and the Laguna Beach Police Department identified Mahran using his description, license plate number and driver profile on the Uber application to find and arrest him at his Huntington Beach apartment later that day, the OCDA says.

If convicted, Mahran faces up to 28 years in state prison.

He's currently out of custody after posting $100,000 bond before his scheduled continued arraignment on Dec. 2.