Rideshare Driver Arrested For Violent Attempted Rape Of Woman In San Carlos
SAN CARLOS (CBS SF) -- A San Francisco rideshare driver was arrested for the violent attempted rape of a woman at knifepoint in San Carlos in 2018, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said Friday.
On New Year's Day 2018, 43-year-old Richard Silverio of San Francisco saw a woman standing on the sidewalk in San Francisco waiting for her rideshare to take her to San Carlos, police said.
Silverio approached the woman in his car and offered to take her to her destination. The woman got into the vehicle.
As they were driving to San Carlos, Silverio pulled the vehicle over behind a business on the 300 block of El Camino Real in San Carlos. He stopped and brandished a knife at the woman, telling her that he wanted sex as his payment for the ride, police said.
The victim resisted Silverio advances and a struggled ensued. The woman was able to break free and escaped the vehicle, but Silverio ran after her and caught her before violently attempting to rape her.
After a second struggle, the woman was able to break free again and ran to a nearby gas station, where a cashier contacted authorities.
Deputies were called to the scene assist the woman and gather evidence. After a lengthy investigation that involved San Mateo County Sheriff's Office detectives speaking to multiple witnesses, evidence was processed and a DNA sample was obtained. The sample matched DNA from Silverio.
Silverio was arrested on Jan. 9, 2020 at 4 p.m. and is currently in custody for four felony charges including attempted rape, assault to commit rape, kidnapping and false imprisonment, police said.
He was a contracted driver with an unnamed rideshare company, but police said he was not on duty during the crime. Detectives said they believe this was an isolated incident, but an investigation is still ongoing.
If anyone has experienced a similar incident or has information to provide, please contact Detective Jose Velasquez at (650) 363-4062, or by email Jvelasquez@smcgov.org. Additionally, anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Anonymous Tip Line at 1-800-547-2700.
