$10k bail for Worcester man charged with raping a woman who believed he was an Uber driver
BOSTON, October 18, 2023—A Worcester man is being held on $10,000 bail after being charged Monday in Boston Municipal Court Central Division with raping a woman who thought he was her Uber driver early Saturday morning in Downtown Boston, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
QABEL NAJEEB, 29, was charged with one count of rape and ordered to wear a GPS bracelet and observe a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew if he posts bail. He will return to court November 15 for a probable cause hearing.
On Saturday at about 4:47 a.m. Boston police responded to Border Street in East Boston and spoke with a woman who told them that she ordered an Uber when leaving a downtown nightclub several hours earlier. The original Uber then was cancelled. The woman, 32, said she then entered another car she thought was an Uber. The driver, later identified as Najeeb, drove past Boston Common and then pulled over among some buildings near Storrow Drive. There the driver raped the woman. After the assault, he dropped the victim off on Border Street.
Investigators used video surveillance and descriptions provided by the victim to identify the car, a blue Toyota Corolla, and the driver, Najeeb. Najeeb was arrested on Sunday.
“This is a terrifying incident involving a woman who entered a vehicle with the full understanding that she was going to be delivered home in safety and a driver who took advantage of the victim and the situation. This is the beginning of the process of seeking justice, and we will stay beside this victim during and after this difficult time,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 870-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. Help is also available at www.janedoe.org/findhelp.
Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communcations