Woman kidnapped, sexually assaulted by man posing as ride-share driver

TEMECULA — A woman waiting for a ride-sharing service to pick her up from a Pala gas station was kidnapped and sexually assaulted Sunday evening, July 14. The crime was allegedly committed by a man who officials later said had carjacked a vehicle from the Moreno Valley area before using the stolen car to pose as the victim’s driver. A Moreno Valley man was identified and arrested two days later and he remains in custody, held without bail.

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Deputies from the Temecula Sheriff’s Station were notified regarding the incident after the victim managed to get away from her attacker and called 911, Sgt. Edmond Seltzer later reported.

According to Seltzer, after the woman was kidnapped by the man posing as her ride-share driver, he sexual assaulted the victim in the area of Temecula Pkwy and Redhawk Pkwy, in the city of Temecula.

Deputies investigating the alleged incident learned the victim, who has not been identified, was waiting for a ride sharing service driver at a Pala gas station when a vehicle arrived. The male driver stated he was her ride and there to pick her up, according to officials – who did not specify which ride-sharing company the man was posing as a driver for.

Luis Fernando Alba, 24, of Moreno Valley, was arrested after officials say he carjacked a vehicle and posed as a ride-share driver, before kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman from a Pala gas station. RSO booking photo

“After getting in the vehicle it became apparent to the victim the driver was not a ride sharing service driver and asked to be let out of the vehicle,” Seltzer explained. “The driver refused to let her out and sexually assaulted the victim while in the city of Temecula.”

The victim was eventually able to exit the vehicle on Temecula Pkwy and immediately called 911 to report the incident and attack.

During their subsequent investigation, deputies identified the alleged suspect as Luis Fernando Alba, 24, of Moreno Valley.

He was arrested on Mulberry Dr. in Moreno Valley, Monday, July 15, for allegedly carjacking the vehicle he later used to kidnap and sexually assault the victim. The carjacking was reported in Moreno Valley the day before the attack, on Saturday, July 13, according to Seltzer.

After his arrest, Alba was booked into Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where he remains held without bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Riverside’s Hall Of Justice, July 18.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Investigator Cornett at the Temecula Sheriff’s Station (951) 696-3000 or Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch (951) 776-1099. Callers can refer to incident file number TE191950131 and can remain anonymous. Citizens may also submit a tip using the Sheriff’s CrimeTips online form.

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.