Two men in Miami-Dade County have been arrested for posing as rideshare drivers to rob and rape young women. Alejandro Yadir Gongora, 39, and Estalin Maurad-Avecillas, 49, were working together as a team, according to police. They face charges including sexual battery and kidnapping in connection to these incidents.
One victim, a tourist, shared her experience in court, stating that Maurad-Avecillas made her believe he was her Uber driver before she blacked out and woke up as a victim. Detectives revealed that several other victims had similar experiences, where they entered what they thought was their rideshare only to end up in a strange hotel, raped and alone.
Gongora was first connected to an incident in Miami Beach in October 2023, where he sexually assaulted one woman and stole her belongings after pretending to be a rideshare driver. DNA evidence later linked him to more sex crimes, including a rape case in August 2023 where a victim claimed she was assaulted after being picked up in Brickell.
Maurad-Avecillas, on the other hand, was caught on surveillance video taking a woman to a motel and committing rape. The victim in the January incident expressed confusion about the events, stating that she woke up with bruises but couldn’t remember what happened to her.
Both Gongora and Maurad-Avecillas are currently in jail with pending cases. The City of Miami Police believe that Maurad-Avecillas was Gongora’s accomplice in these crimes. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging the public to be cautious when using rideshare services to ensure their safety.
