Roommate of woman who was allegedly raped by Uber driver saw man in backseat of SUV, police report says

Boston Globe

26-02-2025

She said she saw movement in the back seat when she went outside and began knocking on the window.
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'The witness stated she then made eye contact with a male who was inside of the vehicle,' the report said. 'The witness stated as she went inside the residence, she observed the male exit the rear passenger side door and walk around in front of the vehicle and into the driver's seat.'
The roommate ran back inside and told police she was about to call 911 when the woman came in and disclosed what happened. At the time, the victim's 'dress was 'torn' open in the front,' the report said. 'She stated when the victim left [earlier to go out], she had pinned the front of her dress.'
Police also spoke with the woman at her home and again at a Boston hospital, according to the report.
She said the driver, later identified as
Hermann Ngoufack Jiokeng, 39, picked her up around 11:48 p.m. Saturday outside Loco Taqueria and Oyster Bar on West Broadway.
The woman initially said the driver stopped during the trip when another car pulled up beside his.
She told police two men got out of the second vehicle and dragged her out of the Uber, placing her in their car where they raped her, the report said.
'The victim stated they gave her something and told her 'to clean up,'' the report said. 'Then she was dropped off' at her residence.
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During a subsequent interview, she said she was intoxicated when she left the restaurant and that everything seemed fine until the Uber was just outside her residence.
'The victim stated the driver of the Uber climbed into the back seat and pinned her hands down on the seat,' the report said. 'The victim stated a second person 'came out of nowhere' and also raped her. ... The victim stated she thinks the second person was on foot prior to entering the vehicle and it looked like the two suspects knew each other.'
She told investigators she 'knows the Uber driver raped her and believed that the second individual in the vehicle at least watched the assault take place,' the report said. 'The victim stated she had consumed a lot of alcohol on the prior date and has started to question some of the details she has provided.'
However, the woman clearly recalled being raped, telling police she knew an assault occurred 'because she 'felt it,' remembered the assault, and based on how her body felt after the incident.'
Jiokeng was identified as the Uber driver based on the woman's receipt for the trip, police said.
He was arrested Sunday morning outside his Hobart Street address in Brighton. He later waived his Miranda rights and agreed to speak with police, the report said.
He told police the woman was 'highly intoxicated' in his vehicle and appeared to nod off at times, officials said.
'The suspect stated upon their arrival to the victim's destination he did enter the back seat of his vehicle where the victim was seated,' the report said. 'The suspect stated while inside the back seat with the victim he recalled a person knocking on the rear window of the vehicle. When asked, the suspect stated he 'didn't remember' whether he had any sexual contact with the victim.'
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A South Boston Municipal Court judge on Tuesday ordered Jiokeng held without bail on a rape count, pending a dangerousness hearing slated for Friday, records show. Jiokeng pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.
Travis Andersen can be reached at