Rideshare driver arrested in Maryland on rape charges has prior New York abuse record
A Maryland rideshare driver accused of raping a teenage passenger was arrested and faces multiple charges, after a prior sexual-abuse arrest in New York.
Police in Montgomery County were called to a hospital after a teenage girl said she had been raped by an Empower rideshare driver. The driver, identified as Abdoulaye Dia, a citizen of Guinea living in Lanham, Maryland, allegedly took the victim to a parking lot in Silver Spring where the assault occurred. Investigators used data from the rideshare application to locate and arrest Dia, who now faces charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping, second-degree assault and a third-degree sex offense.
The Department of Homeland Security disclosed that Dia had earlier been arrested in New York City on multiple sexual-abuse offenses, including forcible compulsion and touching of intimate parts. He entered the United States illegally through Arizona in December 2023 and was released by the administration. The case highlights concerns about background checks for rideshare drivers.
Why it matters
The case raises public safety concerns about rideshare driver vetting and immigration enforcement.
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