MIAMI (WSVN) - Police arrested an Uber driver after, they said, he gave a woman a ride to a motel, but that is not where she wanted to go.
Forty-nine-year-old Danny Maurad-Avecillas appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Friday.
“I believe there’s probable cause for kidnapping,” said the judge.
Investigators said the victim, who was visiting South Florida from California with friends, hailed the Uber to return to her Airbnb on Jan. 12.
In court, the victim explained to Glazer how her ordeal started. She said she thought the suspect’s car was her Uber.
“He made me believe that was my Uber and said, ‘Get in the car, get in the car,’ and that’s it,” said the woman. “It looked exactly like the car that I was waiting for.”
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim told police that “she had left South Beach in an Uber and woke up naked inside a motel (77 Motel) with no recollection on how she got there.”
7News obtained an image that shows the suspect at the motel he left the victim.
“These are some of the strangest facts that I’ve seen,” said Glazer
Police said Maurad-Avecillas used the woman’s cards to pay for the motel and to fuel up the car.
“So he drives her to a motel that they rent by the hour,” said Glazer
“But that’s after he put gas in his car using her credit card, right?” asked the prosecutor.
“Correct,” said Glazer.
Now Maurad-Avecillas is facing serious charges.
“You were arrested for two counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and one count of fraudulent use of personal identification,” said Glazer.
The suspect told detectives that he is, in fact, a rideshare driver.
The motel witness told detectives that the woman appeared to be intoxicated.
“So he told the detectives he does drive Uber, and on more than one occasion, he’s placed incoherent females into his vehicle and transported them to a motel, where he removes their belongings for safekeeping,” said Glazer.
The victim said in court that she is suffering from bodily injury as a result of this incident.
“I have bodily injury. I don’t know what they did to me. I have bruises,” said the woman.
The judge ordered the suspect to stay away from the woman.
“Ma’am, thank you for coming into court today. I know that must not be easy for you,” said Glazer. “I just want to remind you, though, he is presumed not guilty.”
7News reached out to Uber. Friday night, a spokesperson issued a statement that reads, “There are no words to describe this sickening behavior. We removed the driver’s access to the platform as soon as this was reported to us and are supporting law enforcement with their investigation.”
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.