MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A man accused of posing as a rideshare driver is going to remain behind bars after, police said, he terrorized two tourists in Miami Beach.
Thirty-nine-year-old Alejandro Yadir Gongora was denied bond in a hearing held on Friday.
The judge’s decision comes days after Gongora’s arrest for sexual battery and strong-arm robbery.
Surveillance cameras captured part of the alleged crime on Sept. 30.
Investigators said the ordeal began in Wynwood, when the the two women hopped into a black SUV thinking it was their ride.
According to the arrest report, the victims told detectives that at one point during their ride, Gongora stopped the SUV, took a purse from one of the women and sexually battered the other.
Following a struggle, the arrest report states, the SUV headed to the victims’ hotel.
Surveillance video captured them arriving to the 800 block of Collins Avenue. As the victims got out, one of them is seeing trying to call for help, and that’s when the driver took off.
This is Gongora’s second arrest in a matter of weeks. Back on Sept. 19, he was apprehended at his home in Miami for strong-arm robbery.
The suspect is accused of taking his girlfriend’s phone during an argument.
But that charge is the least of his worries now.
Thursday morning, Gongora appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer.
“So he’s pretending to be a rideshare driver, picks up these two women, robs and assaults them,” said Glazer.
Miami Beach Police are using this rideshare nightmare to warn the public.
“If anything just doesn’t seem right, use your intuition, and if there’s an emergency, always dial 911,” said Miami Beach Police Sgt. Shantell Mitchell.
The arrest form states Gongora admitted to having an argument with the women but denied the other allegations.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.