Orlando Viches Lazo, a 44-year-old man from San Francisco, has been sentenced to 150 years in prison for sexual assaults on women. Lazo would pick up women by identifying himself as a rideshare driver and then take them to remote locations to assault them.
Details of the Conviction
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office announced that Lazo has been sentenced to six life sentences. His charges include two counts of kidnapping with intent to commit rape, four counts of kidnapping, four counts of rape by force or fear, and two counts of sexual penetration with a foreign object.
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History of Attacks
Lazo seemingly began targeting women in 2013, when rideshare services like Lyft and Uber were still relatively new. He approached women as they were leaving bars and clubs, introduced himself as a driver, and then took them to remote locations. His first attack occurred in 2013 when he picked up a 21-year-old student leaving a bar and took her to an abandoned industrial area.
Investigations in 2018 linked him to previous attacks after DNA samples were collected from Lazo following another assault. That year, he raped a 22-year-old woman and assaulted two other women. One of the women managed to escape from him in 2018, and Lazo was arrested in July of that year.
Reactions and Consequences
Deputy District Attorney Michelle Brass noted the bravery of the women who came forward during the investigation and trial, stating, "These women showed incredible courage and strength throughout this long and painful process. I hope these sentences bring them a sense of peace and closure."
Before his arrest, Lazo worked as a Lyft driver. Despite being an undocumented immigrant from Peru, he passed the company's background checks. Lyft also stated that he had fraudulently identified himself as a driver, and his account was deactivated after his arrest in 2018.
According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Lazo will be deported to Peru if he is released from prison.
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Source: independent.co.uk
