The family of a 16-year-old girl from Long Island, who was allegedly raped in NYC by a man she met on Snapchat, is holding Uber partially accountable for their daughter’s traumatic experience.
The Orthodox Jewish teenager was reportedly taken to Brooklyn by an Uber driver without question to meet a man she had connected with on Snapchat. This man allegedly sexually assaulted her in his car and recorded the incident, according to a lawsuit filed by her family against the ride-sharing company.
“As a result of this assault, my daughter suffered severe physical and emotional harm,” stated her mother in court documents.
The ordeal began on March 10 when the teenager left her close-knit home in Nassau County and entered an Uber that was reportedly arranged for her by the alleged attacker, as outlined in court documents.
Her family believes the night should have ended there.
Uber’s policy prohibits strangers from booking rides for individuals under 18, and minors are not allowed to travel alone unless they have a specific account for teenagers, according to the company.
The company’s website advises, “When picking up riders, if you feel they are underage, you may request they provide a driver’s license or ID card for confirmation. If a rider is underage, please do not start the trip or allow them to ride.”
However, instead of terminating the ride, the driver reportedly took the girl to Bushwick and left her without ensuring her safety or that she was with a guardian, allegedly breaching another aspect of Uber’s policies concerning minors.
The legal filing stated that the girl “did not understand the danger of the situation.”
Authorities have said that the victim then encountered Ralfy Figueroa, who has been arrested and charged with first-degree rape for allegedly assaulting her in his vehicle that night.
The two had communicated online since at least January, during which Figueroa allegedly paid the victim $35 for a “nude” photo, as mentioned in a criminal complaint.
According to authorities, the victim sent a photo she found online instead.
On the day of the assault, Figueroa allegedly contacted the girl via Snapchat, requesting to meet and threatening her.
“You have to, I know your address. Confirm your address, if you don’t, I’m gonna hurt you and your family,” prosecutors detailed in court filings.
Once she was in his car, Figueroa allegedly offered her $1,000 for oral sex and when she refused, forced her until she vomited and threatened “to send people to your home,” while claiming, “I have guns,” according to the complaint.
When the attack concluded, Figueroa, 26, called a second Uber to take the victim home, but canceled the ride once she was inside the vehicle, stated her family’s lawyer, David Seidemann, who also claimed the suspect filmed the assault.
The victim has been severely traumatized and is currently receiving mental health treatment at a facility out of state, her family reported.
“My daughter has said that if the videos of the assault were to be released publicly, she would kill herself,” the mother revealed in court documents seeking unspecified damages from Uber.
At the time of the alleged rape, Figueroa had recently completed a program called Cases ROAR, designed as an alternative to incarceration for those under 27 years old.
He entered the Reframing Opportunities, Alternatives and Resilience program as part of a plea deal after being arrested in July for selling crack to an undercover officer in Bushwick. That crime did not qualify for bail.
Figueroa now risks having his plea deal in the drug case revoked and could face up to 9 years in prison, according to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, which prosecuted that case.
“We have requested a hearing to determine whether Ralfy Figueroa has violated the terms of his plea agreement on felony and misdemeanor narcotics charges and should be immediately sentenced on those charges,” Kati Cornell, spokesperson, stated.
Figueroa has pleaded not guilty to the rape charge and is being held at Rikers Island with a $100,000 bail. His lawyer declined to comment.
Uber has stated it advises drivers to cancel trips involving unaccompanied minors without a teen account and report such incidents for review.
“The details of this case are incredibly distressing,” an Uber spokesperson remarked in a statement. “While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, our commitment to keeping safety at the forefront remains steadfast.”
